When the Last Crocus Petal Fell
by Lunar Resonance
Summary: AU. Soul is the hated god of the Underworld, content with ruling in his dark and lonely Underworld, while Maka, the beloved daughter of Demeter, revels in the sunlight. Polar opposites in almost every way, their paths would have never crossed. But Fate decides to intervene in the form of the Gorgon sisters' devious plot to claim the gods' power for themselves.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi everyone! This fic is my entry for Resbang (which you can find out more about via the links I have posted on my profile.) I will also have links up soon for the art that goes with this story, in case any of you want to check it out :) Lastly, it should be noted that I switch from one POV to another but said POV changes are marked with a line break. I think that's it! Happy reading!

Lunar

* * *

The Archeron River flowed quietly, hardly making a sound as a cloaked figure paused at its edge.

A smirk played on Medusa's lips as she removed the hood from her head. She bent down, her fingers grazing the surface of the river.

She studied the droplets on her head, murmuring words under her breath. The water in her hand glowed briefly but a brighter glow emanating from the river caught Medusa's eye.

"Finally," she hissed in victory.

Pulling her hood back on, she cast her hand over the river, chanting at the same time. The river glowed a blinding white. Then the water receded, revealing a hidden stairway that led so far down that the end was shrouded in darkness.

Confidently, Medusa made her way down the path in the dark, never missing a step. The stairway stretched far down into the earth, seemingly going on forever.

To both her left and right, the water of the Archeron River enclosed Medusa, like a moving tunnel.

Medusa felt a twitch from the snake tattoo on her arm. "Shh, Apophis," she crooned comfortingly. "Not too long now."

Finally the stairway ended, opening to a pair of ornate double doors. Archaic runes were etched upon the archway of the doors.

Medusa laid her hand on the doors. She laughed openly. "I would think the entrance to the Underworld would be much more guarded than this."

Her fingers glided down where the door handles should be. She felt nothing but smooth rock.

She removed her hand from the doors and stroked the black snake tattoo on her arm. "Come alive, my pet."

Apophis writhed to life, peeling off of Medusa's skin. He shook his head as his body dropped from Medusa's arm, opening his mouth in a huge yawn.

As he pulled himself free of Medusa's body, he grew to an enormous size, black scales covering his entire body.

Medusa rubbed his head. "Open the door."

Apophis hissed and opened his jaws, bone-white fangs extending from the roof of its mouth. With a loud crunch, he snapped the doors in two.

They collapsed on the ground with a crash, sending clouds of dust into the air.

Medusa stepped neatly over the wrecked entrance, her golden eyes seeing easily through the dust.

A menacing growl rent the air.

"Ah," Medusa smiled, pausing. "The fool does have some backbone, then."

She snapped her fingers, catching her snake's attention. "Take care of it."

The snake slithered rapidly into the Underworld's entrance, melding into the darkness.

Medusa waited.

There was a sharp bark, followed by another that cut off suddenly. Apophis hissed lowly as he made his way back to her.

The rubble cleared. Just up ahead lay a massive three-headed dog, semi-unconscious. One of its heads moved fitfully as Medusa stepped into the Underworld but it did not rise.

Medusa looked around. The tunnel opened up to large cavern, cold and gloomy. At the opposite end of the cavern was another river.

"The River Styx." Medusa walked toward it. A lonely boat bobbed up and down on the surface.

She glanced around, looking for its owner. If she could trust her sister, she should be distracting its owner right now.

No one came.

Satisfied, Medusa called over Apophis with a wave of her hand, gazing at the river's suface. She was tempted to stick her hand in the water.

Instead she turned to Apophis. "You will go on your own from here," she told the snake. "Arachne will bring him to you and you will lead him through the tunnels to the meadows below Mount Olympus."

From her sleeve, she pulled out a ribbon. Medusa held it out to Apophis' face, letting him get a good whiff of the scent.

She continued. "Kill the girl who owned this. Understand?"

Apophis flicked his tongue once and turned tail, preparing to enter the river.

Medusa smiled as she carefully recited the spell that would protect Apophis as well as the curse that would make the poor girl Medusa had chosen the source of Apophis' blood thirst.

When Medusa finished, she nodded at Apophis. "Go."

Apophis slithered into the river, barely leaving a ripple in his wake.

Medusa stretched, feeling the effect of using so much magic in one night. She had spent years looking for the Underworld's entrance in the Archeron River and even longer finding the spells to open it. It would have been longer if she hadn't had some help.

But it had been worth it.

With this, not only was the first phase of her plan was in action but with the Styx's magical properties, she made the ultimate invulnerable weapon.

Medusa turned to leave. Now time to deal with her dear sister.

* * *

In distance, beyond boundaries of the city of Larissa, was a mountain that reached into the skies, covered in forest. The mortals saw its magnificent height and assumed it was Mount Olympus.

And for once, they were right. Not that they knew it. They had never sent anyone to check.

_Fools. _Medusa studied the mortals celebrating in their town fair from atop of a hill she had carefully chosen. They pranced happily around, stupidly wide smiles on their faces.

_Naïve and yet so happy,_ Medusa thought. The snakes in her hair rattled with her displeasure.

"Disgusting," she breathed.

She felt a poisonous presence behind her. Ah, there was her darling sister. "What took you so long, Arachne?" she sighed, not taking her eyes off the mortals.

Medusa could hear the smirk in her sister's voice. "Brooding over your hatred for the mortals _again?_"

"More like thinking how I will have each and every one of those pathetic mortals bow to me before they look me in the eyes."

"Murder this early in the morning? Little sister, you do have your priorities."

Although her face betrayed no emotion, one of the snakes in her hair hissed vehemently at Arachne, staring beadily at her.

Arachne came into view, her black hair knotted up in an elegant bun. "Oh, sister, please. You know your precious snakes have no effect on a fellow Gorgon. And without that, I think you'd know who would win in a fight."

Medusa ignored her. "You're going to send him the message?"

Arachne smirked. "I played the damsel-in-distress long enough for you to plant your precious snake in the Styx, didn't? Just leave it to me. He'll be there. And then your precious snake can do its work."

Nodding in satisfaction, Medusa said, "Excellent. The girl will be there, just as the stars foretold it."

"It's fortunate the stars are so talkative to you, sister." Arachne turned to leave.

Medusa smiled. "Her death will start a war so devastating that even Olympus will fall."

"And we will be there to reap the rewards," Arachne murmured contentedly.

Medusa's expression didn't change as she nodded in agreement. "I certainly couldn't do this without you, Arachne."

_But I could certainly rule without you,_ Medusa thought. _Sorry, my sister._

Beyond the hill, the mortals danced, unaware of the disaster to come.


	2. Chapter 2

"Persephone!"

"I told you that I don't like that name, Mother. I like Maka better." Maka mumbled into her pillow. With a yawn, she sat up in her bed.

Demeter appeared in the doorway to Maka's bedroom. "I don't even know where you got that name," she sighed. "It's much easier to go with the names that the mortals give us."

"Most gods and goddesses have another name of their own choosing. This one is mine," Maka said stubbornly. "I want to be called by the name that I chose."

"Such strange names they come up with." Demeter crossed the room, her long graceful legs peeking out from the forest green robe she wore. She sat on the edge of her daughter's bed and reached out to tuck an unruly lock of Maka's hair behind her ear. "But I suppose if you're going to be insistent about it, I might as well get used to it."

Maka scowled a little at the teasing tone in her mother's voice, trying not to smile. She gave up when Demeter tousled her hair affectionately.

"Mother, stop!" she laughed, pulling away.

Demeter rested her hands in her lap. "Very well, Per-Maka," she said, catching herself.

Maka smiled. Then, she took in her mother's appearance.

Demeter was dressed in a golden robe, much more extravagant than she usually wore, a gold belt cinching it at her waist. Her blonde hair was twisted in an elegant loose braid and her skin, which usually was covered in at least one layer of dirt, shone with radiance.

She looked gorgeous. It reminded Maka of why her father had fallen in love instantly with her mother.

Even if it was for all of five minutes.

Maka eyed her suspiciously. "Are you going somewhere?"

Instead of answering, Demeter smoothed the covers of Maka's bed. "Isn't time you got ready to greet the day, my flower? Helios already brought the sun in his golden chariot hours ago."

"You're going to Mount Olympus, aren't you?" Maka demanded.

Demeter stood. "Maka, please, let's not-"

Maka threw the covers off of her and leapt from the bed. "I want to go! Please!"

Raising a hand to her temples, Demeter closed her eyes. "Maka, we've already had this discussion before and the answer is the same. No."

Resisting setting her face in a defeated pout, Maka persisted. "It made sense when I was younger but I'm all grown up now!"

When Demeter didn't answer, Maka continued to press. "And don't I have a right to see my father?" She muttered, "Even if he isn't the best one."

"Zeus, or Spirit, _as he prefers to be called_," Demeter said with a pointed glare at her daughter, "most likely won't be up for much father-daughter time."

Demeter frowned. "He didn't even send his messenger like he normally does so this isn't going to be a fun visit-not that they ever are. It'll be easier if you just stay home, Maka."

Maka flopped back onto the bed. "But I always stay home. You don't let me do anything."

She felt Demeter sit back on the bed. "I'm sorry, my flower."

Maka didn't answer.

Demeter rose from the bed. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

A sudden idea occurred to Maka. "Wait!"

She sat up. "What if I just stayed outside of Mount Olympus? I don't even have to go in." Maka looked pleadingly at Demeter. "I just want to go somewhere other than home."

Maka felt a little shoot of hope as she took in Demeter's face, wavering with hesitation. "Please," she pressed. "I won't wander off."

"Well," Demeter trailed off. Maka could see her mother warring with herself internally.

Demeter looked up, her shoulders shrugging a little as she gave in. "All right."

"Yes!" Maka jumped off the bed and hugged her mother tightly. "Thank you, thank you!"

Demeter smiled. "You're a good daughter, Maka." She pulled away. "Now go get ready. The daughter of a goddess must look at her absolute best for a visit like this."

Maka nodded eagerly and ran into her closet. She rifled through her clothes, finally deciding upon a green robe that matched the color of her eyes. The straps were made in the shape of asphodel petals, edged in gold thread.

She dashed to her mirror, trying to mimic her mother's hairstyle. Her attempts only got her fingers stuck in her hair. She gave up in frustration and fell back to her daily hairstyle of tying her hair back in two ponytails instead, searching for two ribbons to tie her ponytails together.

She frowned a little when she could only find one ribbon for her favorite pair but she shrugged it off, figuring she must have misplaced it somewhere.

She gave herself a final glance in the mirror. She wasn't as pretty as her mother yet but she liked the way her eyes stared determinedly at her in her reflection and the graceful way she held herself.

Giving her reflection an excited smile, she straightened her shoulders confidently, practically dancing out of her closet in excitement.

Her room was empty.

For a second, Maka's heart stopped as she wondered if her mother had left without her. "Mother?" she called out, biting her lip.

"In the kitchen, flower, come eat before we go!"

Maka smiled in relief, feeling returning to her legs. She darted out of her room and down the hallway.

A spiral staircase opened at the end, leading to the dining and living rooms. She made her way through the dining room and into the kitchen on her left.

Demeter hurried back and forth in the kitchen, laying out a platter of bread, cheeses and fruits that they had picked together from their garden in the front. She pulled a chair, gesturing to Maka. "Hurry, the journey will take longer now that you're coming."

Maka quickly sat down in the chair and began gulping down the food in front of her, too eager to taste what she was eating.

"I'm going to go gather the horses," Demeter said, striding out of the kitchen.

Maka finished eating just as Demeter returned, carrying two traveling cloaks.

"Ready?" Demeter asked briskly.

Maka nodded.

Tossing her a cloak, Demeter said, "Good, I was thinking that I would leave you with some of the nymphs that I know at the base of Mount Olympus. They should take good care of you."

Maka followed her out of the kitchen and to the front door. "Mother, I can take care of myself."

Demeter opened the front door and turned back, smiling. "I know that, Maka. It's just for your old mother's peace of mind." She pinched her daughter's cheek.

Maka stuck out her tongue. "Will they be any fun at all?"

Her mother closed the door. "I think there's a couple your age. I'm sure you'll get along."

Maka turned to watch the house fade from view and a large tree take its place instead. It was one of the many illusions her mother cast so they could have their privacy. As a child, she'd loved to walk to the point where the illusion took effect and watch it morph into a tree.

In the yard was a silver chariot with two Olympian horses harnessed to it, tossing their silver manes impatiently. She took a place in the chariot, tapping her feet excitedly.

She looked for her mother, who had disappeared into the forest that lay behind their house. "Mother, can we go already?"

Demeter emerged from the forest and hurried from the chariot, leaves caught in her hair. She held a handful of white roses and purple crocuses.

"Mother, why do you have those?" Maka asked curiously as Demeter reached the chariot.

"Flowers for my flower," Demeter smiled, starting to arrange the flowers in a crown. Her fingers moved deftly.

"You don't have to do that," Maka protested.

Demeter finished with the crown with a flourish. "Nonsense."

She blew gently on the flowers and they took on a resplendence only possible through Demeter's magic. Demeter placed the crown on Maka's head and looked at her proudly. "It shows off your natural beauty."

Maka ducked her head. "Thank you, Mother."

Demeter patted Maka's hair lovingly. "Hold on tightly now. Olympian horses are much faster than the horses you've ridden."

Maka grabbed the railing rightly as Demeter gave the reins a sharp flick.

The horses surged forward, breaking into a gallop.

An exhilarated smile broke out on Maka's face. She reveled in the wind dancing on her skin as the chariot went faster.

_Finally,_ she thought, breathing in the sweet scent wafting down from the flowers on her head, _I'll get to see what Mount Olympus looks like. _

_If only from the outside._

* * *

_Apophis waited at the bottom of the Styx River, completely protected from its ruinous effects by his master's magic._

_Even now, the girl's scent lingered in its nostrils, filling Apophis with a burning desire to kill. He gave his tail a violent twinge, eager to fulfill his master's wishes._

_But he couldn't move yet for Arachne had not yet arrived. He gave an impatient hiss as he peered up to the surface._

_He had nearly dozed into sleep when he sensed movement on the surface. His eyes shot open, immediately zeroing in on the shadow of the boat on the river._

_Flicking out his tongue, he tasted Arachne's scent. Apophis followed the boat's shape, guided by her scent. When they were almost on land, the sister finally spoke to Apophis in a low and rapid voice._

_Apophis listened keenly and then traveled further down the river, out of sight of the boat._

_His impatience gave an extra boost to his speed as Apophis headed further onto land, ready to sink his teeth into his target._


	3. Chapter 3

_It's just a figment of my imagination, _Soul told himself, pretending that the words are true. That when he looks up at the oak tree again, the figure dressed in black with her red eyes ablaze, will disappear.

"Well, it is your fault I'm here, you know," a voice giggled.

"Yes, I know," he replied. The scar plastered across his chest twinged a little as if it could sense Melinoe's presence.

The stone bench that he's sitting on felt colder than ice, the pleasant scents of his garden fading as Melinoe'svoice invades the air.

"Hades…"

His bottom lip curled a bit in distaste. "I've told you before that I hate that name."

"Ahh yes," she delicately stepped over a tree root, coming even closer to him. "Soul isn't it?" Melinoe gave a breathy little laugh. "A bit ironic for you, no?"

He focused looking up at the sky, or what counts for the sky in his world, instead of watching her steady approach. The murky shadows cast down from the top of the Underworld bathes it in a cloudy light, washing out everything to a dull gray.

When he looks back, she's right in front of him now with a curious half-smile on her face.

Soul would be a little more frightened if she hadn't pulled this stunt one too many times. He yawned, almost bored. "What's ironic exactly, Melinoe?"

"That the god of the underworld-the god of the dead-would name himself after the one thing he couldn't have." One of her hands traveled to her mouth and pulls on her lip while the other tapped excitedly against her hip. "A soul."

A maniacal laugh ripped free from her throat.

Soul tensed, handing going to his sword belt. "Get out of here, Melinoe. You're losing control again."

She giggled, the pale skin of her face reddening. "I'm perfectly in control, _Soul,_" she said, pronouncing his name in a sing-song voice.

She blinked and her red eyes turned black. Her voice sounded a pitch deeper. "It's Ogre that's not in control."

He stood up slowly, hands raised, palms up. "Go home now."

The red in her face spread to neck and down her shoulder to her arms. Melinoe fell to the ground, clutching her head.

An entirely different voice came from Melinoe now. More masculine and more demonic. "But the fun is just getting started!"

The black robe that covered her body rippled now, not a robe at all but liquid darkness. It stank of blood.

_It looked more like blood, _Soul amended as he took a deep breath and backed away. There was no way he could help Melinoe now without falling to the Black Blood.

He had seen what happened when he had gave in to it and he had resolved to never let it happen again.

The Black Blood draped over Melinoe's body, swallowing her whole.

A hand, blood red, pushed out of the darkness. The hand pulled at the Black Blood, pushing it away.

Soul watched warily. A voice inside of his head screamed at him to leave but something stopped him, just like all the times before.

The blood peeled itself away from Melinoe, reforming itself against her body.

Except the thing that leered back at him with sharp teeth wasn't Melinoe anymore.

"Hello again, Soul."

Soul gritted his teeth. "Do you really need to make her suffer like that, Ogre?" Ogre's pointy ears twitched in amusement.

"Oh, how touching. You're concerned for her," Ogre mocked.

"She's just less annoying than you," Soul said testily.

Ogre began to circle Soul. "Well in case you haven't figured it out, my dear Soul, Melinoe and I are one and the same. Nightmares can't exist without madness and madness can't function without nightmares."

Soul clenched his hands. "Shut up."

He grinned, black eyes full of malice. "And you, Soul, were a fool to think that you would be able to escape us when you separated us from your body."

Soul his patience, drawing his sword and slicing Ogre in one fluid movement. "I said shut up!"

The gash on Ogre dripped with the same blood his robe was made of. Ogre cocked his head to one side, snickering as his blood knit his body back together. "Nice try, Soul, but you can't kill a part of yourself."

"Doesn't mean I won't try," Soul said, his eyes narrowing.

"Soul!"

Heart racing, Soul turned around.

When he recognized the person entering his garden, he lowered his sword, sighing heavily. "What do you want, Asura?"

The god of death raised an eyebrow at the sword in Soul's hand. "Why are you slashing away at nothing? Did that buffoon Spirit get you drunk?"

Soul knew he shouldn't bother checking behind him. Even if Ogre was there, Asura wouldn't be able to see him.

But still he couldn't resist looking.

Ogre was gone.

Soul put his sword back in its sheath, taking a deep breath. "You really shouldn't talk about the king of the gods like that," Soul said. "And you know as well as I do that Spirit doesn't think too fondly of me."

"And that's why I hold you in minimally higher regard than anyone else," Asura said, flicking an invisible speck of dust from the scarf around his neck.

Soul laughed hollowly, heading for the palace that lay in front of his garden. "I should be so honored."

Asura followed him to the front of the palace. "You should be."

Soul opened the door of the front of his palace. "Aren't you supposed to be collecting dead people or something?" He let Asura in first, closing the door behind him.

"I run according to my time, not on those miserable mortals' time," Asura answered. "Besides, they're dead. They can stand to wait a little longer."

"Hey, this is the first time I've been in here." Asura glanced around the room they had entered. "Is this your throne room? How precious."

"It's where I take care of official business." Soul said disinterestedly, settling on the gold and black throne that sat in the in the middle of the room. "Or are you telling me you came for a social visit?"

Asura snorted. "As if."

"Well then?" Soul prompted, pouring himself a glass of water from the table that stood next to his throne. "What's the problem?"

"It's Kid," Asura said, gritting his teeth.

Soul put a hand to his temple, closing his eyes. "Of course it is." He took a swig from his cup. "Why can't you two get along like normal brothers?"

"Don't call him my brother," Asura hissed, the eye tattoo on his forehead sticking more than usual.

"And what would you prefer to call him?" Soul half-yawned.

"The idiot who brings the living into the land of the dead," Asura said through gritted teeth.

The door flew open with a bang. Kid stood in the doorway, breathing heavily. "She paid the toll so she gets a ride across. It's the rules."

Soul gritted his teeth-all he'd wanted was one day without any problems. "Oh, joy. Come join the party, Kid."

Kid straightened his uniform, re-composing back into his calm self. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Soul but we have a guest."

"A living one," Asura grumbled.

Soul cut him off with a single look. Then, he addressed Kid. "And who is so important that you let them in while still living?"

"Me," a voice announced from behind Kid.

A woman dressed in a black dress that looked like spider webs entered the room, an amused smile playing on her face.

Soul repressed a groan. A Gorgon sister. Just what he needed. "What is it, Arachne?"

Arachne's smile grew wider. "You don't seem too happy to see me, Soul."

"Being here is a violation of one of your treaties with Spirit, I'm sure," Soul sighed.

"My sister and I were only banned from entering any city on Earth," Arachne said lightly. "Last time I checked, this isn't Earth."

"What brings you to the Underworld?" Soul asked tersely.

Arachne cast a slightly disdainful glance at Asura and Kid. "Something that needs to be discussed in private."

Soul dismissed Asura and Kid with a wave of his hand. "Asura, Kid, go resolve your feud elsewhere."

He caught the murderous look in Asura's eyes as the two shuffled out of the palace. "And no fighting," he said sharply.

Asura's face turned sour as he slammed the door shut behind him and Kid.

Arachne laughed. "They're like children, aren't they?"

Soul settled back into his throne, not in the mood to play games. "What is it, Arachne?"

She grinned slyly, her gray eyes brimming with malice. "My dear sister is trying to stir up trouble again."

"How so?"

"One of her snakes got loose again…or I should say, she released one of her snakes again. Apophis, I heard he's called. He's one of her nastier creations."

Soul tried to look engaged. "And how is that my problem? Isn't that something you tell the gods on Mount Olympus?"

She smirked wryly. "I would, astute one, if he had been released on Earth."

Soul's heart plummeted as realization dawned on him. "Where exactly in the Underworld did Medusa release Apophis?" he demanded.

Arachne turned away, pulling out a black fan from her sleeve. She fanned herself with it. "Oh let's see, where was it now…"

"_Arachne!_" Soul snapped. "Where did she release him?"

She turned back toward Soul, still fanning herself. "Into the river Styx. Apophis should be well on his way to Earth by now."

Soul swore loudly, throwing himself off his throne and striding out of the room.

Arachne followed him, laughing delicately. "Such language in front of a lady."

Soul resisted the urge to tell Arachne to shut up, stopping in front of a large door. He pulled a key that lay on a cord that never left his neck. He unlocked the door and yanked it open, revealing his weapons room.

In a room nearly as large as his throne room lay gleaming weapons on racks, neatly organized in rows. Soul paced down each row, looking for the weapon he was seeking.

He took off his sword belt and hung it. It would be near useless in this fight.

He paused when he heard Arachne following him, glaring at her. "You've delivered your message. You are no longer welcome here."

"So uncivil." She snapped her fan shut, tracing her finger down the length of a spear that rested beside her. "I've always wanted to see the legendary weapons."

A greedy look entered Arachne's eyes. "The only ones that have ever been dipped into the river Styx. The ultimate weapons."

"Leave," Soul said flatly.

"You mean you don't want me to lead you to where the snake is?" Arachne asked innocently.

Soul hissed maddeningly. "You don't think you could have mentioned this before?"

"It must have slipped my mind," Arachne shrugged.

Soul fought with himself internally. On one hand, he didn't trust Arachne. But on the other hand, he had no idea where Apophis could be in the Underworld.

He let out a frustrated sigh, making his decision. "Fine, you can stay," he said sourly.

Arachne gave him a small smile. "There now, was it so hard to see things my way?"

"I'll be watching you," Soul warned. "One sign of any funny business and I won't hesitate to use them on you."

"They could kill beings like us?" Arachne said, eyes lighting up. "How fascinating. And dangerous."

"That's exactly why none of them leave this room without me," Soul warned, waving her away.

"And you think that you're just the person to be responsible for them?" Arachne asked, following him up and down the rows. Her eyes drilled into his, as if she knew all his dark secrets about Melinoe and Ogre.

He looked down uneasily, continuing his search. "I created them. They're my responsibility."

"Oh, I'm sure they are," Arachne crooned, gazing longingly at an iron spear.

Soul finally came upon the weapon he'd been looking for. He picked up the scythe, examining the black and red blade. Hefting it from one hand to another, he nodded, satisfied. It would do.

Soul gestured toward the door. "You said you know where Apophis is. Lead the way."

Soul lost his patience when they passed by the Fields of Punishment. "If this snake is as big as you described, why haven't we seen it already?" He fidgeted with the oars in his hands, disliking the fact that there was a monster loose in his lands.

Arachne snickered haughtily, adjusting her skirts from under her. "Why, he's traveling like we are, of course. Or he was, at the very least. Either way, Apophis wouldn't leave much of a trail then, would it?"

Soul glanced down into the murky water of the Styx that their boat floated on. Then he glared suspiciously at Arachne. "How do you know so much?" He tightened his grip on the scythe. "And don't think of lying to me."

She let her hand drift above the Styx's surface, almost touching the water. "My sister wanted me to work with her, you see." She grinned. "I decided to be altruistic, instead."

Soul snorted. "Right. Understand that after this, you're not allowed back into the Underworld."

She started fanning herself again. "I'd be hurt if it wasn't so cramped and dark in here. Who'd want to live in a place with no sun?"

"I manage pretty well," Soul said crossly.

"Do you now?" a voice whispered behind him.

Soul registered Melinoe's voice just in time to stop himself from answering out loud.

However, Arachne's sharp eyes didn't miss how he started from hearing Melinoe's voice. "Something wrong?"

Soul ignored Melinoe's laughter, grateful for once that no one but him could see her. "Nothing."

They rode in silence until Arachne pointed to the riverbank suddenly. "There."

Soul guided the boat to where she pointed. The boat brushed up onto the shore. He grabbed the scythe that he had laid on the floor and clambered out of the boat, careful not to let the water touch him.

Arachne followed him. She gestured to the trail that led out of the water and onto the land. "After Kid granted me passage, I tracked Apophis up until this point. When Apophis left the water, he became much faster and I lost him in the darkness."

Soul looked unhappily into the dimming light, aware that Melinoe stood right beside him. He nervously adjusted the grip on his scythe. "If the snake went into Tartarus…"

"Even if Apophis has been in the Styx, he still has a sense of self-preservation. He wouldn't dare enter there," Arachne assured him.

They followed the trail in the growing darkness. Soul cursed himself for not thinking to bring a torch. The trail went on until they reached the stone wall of the Underworld. To Soul's astonishment, there was a hole in the wall. Open-mouthed, he walked right up to the hole, reaching out to make sure it was really there and it wasn't his imagination.

He looked to the left and right of the hole. And it wasn't just one, there were several holes dotting the wall but only the one in front of him was big enough for him to fit in.

"These have never been here before," Soul said slowly, swallowing hard. Melinoe, who'd been right by his side the whole time, giggled hard.

Arachne didn't answer him.

The hairs on the back of Soul's neck raised, a twitchy feeling coming over him. He whirled around, scythe whistling through the air.

Melinoe's red eyes greeted him but Arachne was gone.

Soul's heart plummeted. "You tricked me," he growled to the air.

A sardonic snicker and then Arachne's voice floated from somewhere above him. "You really shouldn't have trusted me in the first place."

A not-so-distant rumbling surprised Soul, knocking him off his feet and into the air. He landed in the mouth of the hole with a thump.

Melinoe giggled harder beside Soul. "He's coming," she sang.

Soul scrambled to his feet. "What did you do?" he yelled, holding the scythe defensively.

The rumbling grew louder as the tunnel was flooded with an unnaturally bright light.

"Follow the spiders, Soul," Arachne called from where ever she was. "It'd really be in your best interest to follow them."

Soul felt something crawling over his foot. He glanced around him. Spiders were crawling on the walls, all scurrying in one direction.

A hissing sound behind him caught his attention.

Soul turned around slowly, dread filling his chest.

A snake that could have easily been the length of his throne room bared his fangs at him.

"Apophis," Soul murmured in shock.

Apophis' black scales shimmered with the silvery glow, the only sign of his transformation from the Styx.

Soul gripped his scythe tightly. He was about to charge at the creature when the light went out.

He backed away, tripping over his feet. Landing on the ground with a crunch, he felt something sticky on his hands.

Spider guts lay on his hands, glowing iridescently in the darkness. Arachne's words sank in.

_Follow the spiders._

Soul grabbed his scythe and pushed himself to his feet. He could feel the snake lurch forward, then get stuck in the mouth of the entrance, its body nearly too wide to fit in the tunnel.

In the complete darkness, the walls lit up from the spiders' bodies, enough for Soul to make his way through the tunnel but not enough to see the snake, which blended in with the walls with its black scales.

Soul broke into a run as he felt the snake succeed in squeezing its whole body into the tunnel.

He swore as picked his way through the darkness. He had no choice but to hope that Arachne's advice of "following the spiders" didn't lead him to a dead end.

"It won't," Melinoe assured him, running besides him.

Soul's eyes widened as he took her in. "Why are you still here?"

Melinoe shrugged. "_He_ thought it might be fun."

Soul scowled but didn't argue, putting his energy into running instead.

Ahead of him, the spiders continued their steady march forward.


	4. Chapter 4

Maka watched excitedly as the landscape around slowly turned from forest to flatland surrounded by mountains that soared to the heavens.

Demeter touched her shoulder as they rounded the top of a hill. "Do you see that mountain that rises above the rest, Maka?" she asked, gesturing with her head directly in front of her.

Squinting her eyes against the sun, Maka scanned the countryside. From her viewpoint, she could see a large city in the distance, glimmering in the afternoon sun like a mirage.

And a ways beyond the city was the mountain that Demeter had called to her attention. It stretched higher into the sky than any of the other mountain peaks around it.

Maka's eyes widened as she took in the view. "Is that Mount Olympus?" she asked. Even in her daydreams, she hadn't quite imagined Mount Olympus being so impressive.

Its base was dotted with verdant green meadows while vast expanses of forest traveled the sides of the mountain. The peak was so far in the sky that it was invisible, white clouds of mist covering the very top. "Yes," Demeter answered, regarding the mountain with distaste. "It's not as grand as it seems, trust me."

Maka rolled her eyes. "Even if Papa screwed up, Mother, it's still a beautiful place." Her voice turned slightly pleading. "And you're sure I can't go with you?"

Demeter's face turned stern. "Don't test me, Maka. I said you could stay outside Mount Olympus and I stand by my word."

"All right, all right," Maka grumbled under her breath, playing with a flower from her crown. "How long do you think you'll take?"

Demeter frowned. "If your father actually knows what he's doing then it shouldn't take more than a couple hours…whatever he needs me for. And if he doesn't…" she grimaced. "We might have to spend the night."

She caught the grin spreading across Maka's face. "Don't get your hopes up," she chided. "Even if the place is a sight to see, the people in there will eat you alive, if given the chance." She amended her statement. "Well, most of them."

"Is that what they did to you, Mother?" Maka asked curiously. "Because you fell in love with Papa?"

Demeter held on more tightly to the reins. "Something to that extent." She looked over at her daughter, eyes softening. "That's why I didn't want you to come."

"Don't worry, Mother," Maka said comfortingly, wanting to ease the pain she saw in Demeter's eyes. "Nothing like that is going to happen with me."

Demeter pursed her lips. "I certainly expect so."

They rode in amiable silence the rest of the way to Mount Olympus, the sun high overhead. Maka watched as the peak that was Olympus grew ever larger.

When the horses got closer to the city that lay below, Demeter flicked her reins, directing the horses away from the city. "That is the city of Larissa," Demeter explained. "It's very dear to the gods and therefore highly protected by them."

Maka examined the city with interest. Tan, crowded buildings lay sprawled out, surrounded by forest and flatland from all sides. A large amphitheater was filled with people who were cheering at something that Maka couldn't see.

She turned to Demeter. "Can we visit Larissa on our way back?" she asked hopefully.

Demeter laughed. "And why would you want to do that? There isn't much to see there."

"I've never experienced the mortal world before," Maka said, straightening her crown. She gazed longingly at the city as they passed it by, giving it a wide berth. "I'm curious."

Her mother pursed her lips. "We'll see," she said.

* * *

The nymphs weren't what Maka expected. The Dryad nymphs that inhabited the forest Maka lived in were friendly but they always treated Maka with the respect that Demeter had demanded. Instead of companions, they were more like handmaidens.

But the nymphs of the meadows below Mount Olympus had greeted her excitedly, gathering around her in a large group and exclaiming over her gown and the crown of roses and crocuses. Then, they had pulled into their circle, each talking at the same time so Maka couldn't tell who was saying what.

"Don't leave the meadow! I'll see you soon!" her mother had called from behind her. Maka had barely had time to wave a single hand in farewell as they'd taken her deeper into the meadow.

_It was a nice feeling,_ Maka thought as she sat between two nymphs that called themselves Kim and Jackie. They lobbed question after question at Maka, eager to know about Maka and her home.

Maka talked until her mouth ran dry, describing the great forest she lived in and how she helped her mother care and nurture all the plants within it.

The questions slowed eventually, until they reached a lull in the conversation.

"So, Maka," Kim started, running a hand through her pink hair. "Would you like to play a game with us?"

"A game?" Maka asked, tilting her head to one side. "What kind of game?"

"Hide and seek," Jackie said cheerfully. "It's fun."

Maka blushed. "Um, how do you play?"

Jackie stood up, brushing the grass off her green skirt. She held out her hand to Maka. "It's really easy, we'll show you how."

Maka took Jackie's hand, warm against her cool skin. She stood up, digging her toes in the ground. The rest of the nymphs stood up as well, exchanging enthusiastic looks.

"All you have to do is close your eyes and count to fifty while we hide," Kim said, stretching. "Then you come and look for us."

"That sounds like fun," Maka said cautiously.

"Ah, you forgot the most important part, Kim," Jackie chided playfully.

"Oh right," Kim said, smacking her forehead. She grinned at Maka, mischief lighting up her eyes. "We can transform into trees, bushes or flowers. It makes hiding a lot more fun."

"And seeking a lot harder, I presume," Maka said, grinning back at her.

"You can usually tell the nymph, if you look carefully enough," Jackie chimed in. "And Kim here is really ticklish so if you tickle the right tree, it'll bend itself in half from trying not to laugh."

"And then get nailed in the face by said tree," Kim retorted, glaring at Jackie.

Maka held back a laugh. "Okay, I think I get now. Should we start?"


	5. Chapter 5

Soul panted as he ran in the dark, the scythe growing heavy in his hands. He could feel the sweat dripping down from the sides of his face, his calves begging for a break.

But the loud hissing behind him, which was growing closer all the time, spurred him on.

From what he could see of the tunnel that was illuminated by the glowing spiders, it led straight ahead with no diverging pathways.

He huffed under his breath impatiently, once again cursing himself for thinking of listening to a Gorgon sister. Everything Arachne had said had been made to manipulate him into entering this tunnel and he'd overlooked his reservations over his panic of what Medusa had created. The only question was what Arachne and her sister had planned. In all his years, the Gorgon sisters had always had pulled their antics on Earth.

Frankly, it had baffled Soul how Spirit hadn't locked them away with all the dangerous stunts they pulled. However, the Underworld was decidedly not their style and they had stayed away from him so it hadn't been his concern, really.

Until now.

He risked looking over his shoulder, barely making out the massive outline of the snake. The walls of the tunnel shook with its every move. He gripped the scythe harder. Perhaps it couldn't see as well in the dark either. If he launched a surprise attack now, he could gain the upper hand…

"Don't even think about it."

"Melinoe?" Soul squinted in the dark to his right, almost tripping over a rock. He felt a hand steady him.

"Who else would it be?" she giggled. "Having fun?"

"Oh, loads," he wheezed, lungs aching for oxygen. "I'm having the time of my life right now. I thought you disappeared a while ago."

Melinoe's voice turned slightly sullen. "_He_ wanted to come back."

A sudden thought struck Soul. He tried to maintain his pace while speaking. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

He couldn't see Melinoe's face but he heard her affronted tone. "_I_ would do no such thing but I can't speak for _him_. The things that he tells me are the only things I know."

"Well, we'll definitely be having a talk when this is over," Soul said between shallow breaths.

Her sing-song voice came back. "If you can find us, that is! He's saying the real party is about to begin." With that, her light footsteps beside him faded into nothing.

Soul's eyes widened. "Wait, what do you mean par-"

The bright light of the tunnel's exit before him silenced him, answering his question. Behind him, he heard an exceptionally loud hiss coming from Apophis.

He pumped his legs harder, determined to get his bearings before facing him. With a final burst of speed, he burst out of the tunnel.

Soul veered to one side, skidding to a halt. He whipped his head back and forth, looking around.

It appeared that he had just come out of the side of a hill. Around him was mostly flatland, interspersed with forest and rolling hills. And directly in front of him was a large mountain, one that stretched up all the way to the heavens.

He did a double take, making sure his eyes weren't deceiving him, and swallowed hard. He'd never been outside of the Underworld much but the mountain's profile was instantly recognizable.

Mount Olympus.

Soul swore under his breath. That the tunnel ended at the home of the gods was no accident.

There was an ear-splitting crack as Apophis burst out of the tunnel. Instead of easing his way out, like he had done before, he widened the opening with one snap of his deadly fangs, slithering out into the sunlight.

Apophis hesitated just outside the mouth of the tunnel, keeping unusually still. He pricked up his head as if he was listening hard for something.

Soul's mouth went dry as he took in the sheer size of Apophis, even more impressive here in the sunlight than back in the Underworld. If he attacked Apophis head on, he was likely to be injured but there seemed to be no other option.

Apophis' black eyes locked with his.

Soul snapped back to his senses, tensing as he waited to see what he would do.

For a moment, the snake merely considered him, his pink tongue flicking in and out of his mouth.

Then, with a speed Soul hadn't known Apophis was capable of, he darted into the woods, away from Soul.

Soul felt his mouth drop in confusion. Then, he was running after him, trying to catch up to Apophis.

"What are you doing, you stupid animal? I'm over here!" he yelled as he ran in the makeshift trail the snake created with his huge body.

Even though he was already out of his reach, he swiped at Apophis with his scythe, attempting to grab his attention. But Apophis, who already was a comfortable distance away from Soul, ignored him, continuing to head deeper into the forest.

* * *

"Fifty!"

Maka removed her hands from her eyes and scanned the meadow, looking for any sign of movement. Nothing.

She smiled at the challenge, heading for the southernmost part of the meadow. She'd heard a lot of running around while she'd been counting.

Prodding at a couple suspicious looking bushes at the edge of the meadow, she sighed as they gave no sign of intelligence and remained plants. She glanced into the forest that bordered the meadow thoughtfully. Then, she gazed at the mountain behind her.

_Don't leave the meadow! _A voice that sounded too much like her mother's rang in her ears.

Maka scowled at the mountain, which stood imposingly as Demeter.

Maka adjusted her crown with a little jerk and set her face determinedly, ignoring the pang of guilt as she marched into the forest.

She knew her mother loved her and only did what she did to protect her, Maka thought as she roamed aimlessly in the forest. Sometimes it did wear on her though. She wasn't a child any more.

Maka searched in silence for a long time, growing more tired and frustrated as she found no one.

Her head perked up when she heard a noise in the distance ahead. Lifting her skirt so it wouldn't trip her, she walked quickly toward the sound. She strained her ears, trying to trace the noise.

It sounded almost like a faint hissing but that couldn't be right. Her brow furrowed as she tried to place what would make that noise. Maybe one of the nymphs could turn into an animal?

"Kim?" she called. "Jackie? Is that you?"

She didn't receive an answer. Instead the hissing began to intensify, echoing in the forest. Maka's breaths quickened. The hissing didn't sound normal. It sounded evil, somehow.

She turned around, intending to go back to the meadow but as she looked around, she realized she had no idea where she was.

Trying not to panic, she began heading back in the direction she thought the meadow was in, praying that she was right.

She ignored the panicked voice in the back of her head when she had been walking for what felt like forever and there was still no sign of the meadow. Maka bit her lip worriedly. Wouldn't the nymphs had gone to look for her by now?

Her heartbeat sped up as she replayed the unsettling hissing she had heard. Fear made her throat close and her strides longer. Maka looked edgily around her, every shadow and unfamiliar shape a potential monster lying in wait.

She nearly jumped in the air when a stray root got caught on her skirt, making her fall to her knees. Frustrated, Maka pushed herself to her feet, hurrying forward.

_It's going to be okay,_ she told herself. _Someone will find you._

As if the forest heard her thoughts, it opened in front of her, the familiar view of the meadow greeting Maka's eyes. Relieved, Maka ran out of the forest and eager to regain her bearings.

She entered it cautiously, eyeing the forest surrounding her carefully. The hissing had long disappeared by now but she was still tense.

Maka began to walk across the meadow and then stopped. She had no idea what she should do now. Staying here was hardly any better than being lost but at least the nymphs would be able to find her when they figured out she wasn't coming for them.

She sat on the ground with a plop. This meadow was full of vibrantly colored flowers, including, she noticed happily, the purple crocuses in her crown. Maka rose and began picking a few around her. Once she had gathered an armful of flowers, she began playing with the flowers' stems, singing softly to herself.

* * *

Soul growled angrily as Apophis dodged his attack yet again. He rolled to one side as the snake lithely turned around, attempting to escape him.

"Oh no, you don't!" He scrambled to his feet, cutting of the Apophis' path. He bared his fangs at him and struck at Soul. He backed up quickly, narrowly dodging his fangs.

Soul gritted his teeth. There was no way he was letting the snake get back in that forest.

In order to engage the snake, Soul had used the handle of his scythe to take a flying leap straight into the air.

Apophis had heard Soul and moved his head but that wasn't what Soul had been after. He landed successfully on the snake's back with a light thud and that's when the real fight began.

Apophis had reacted by promptly bucking like one of the wild horses of Poseidon, nearly crushing Soul in the process.

But Soul had been able to drive him out of the forest and into nearby flatland, where Apophis had fewer places to hide. Although, Soul now had one very angry snake to deal with. It was the kind of stunt that, as Asura put it, "made those stupid mortals drop like flies."

Luckily, Soul was not a mortal.

Soul charged at Apophis, aiming for his neck. Apophis contorted himself so that Soul's blade swiped at air instead. His attack brought him much too close for comfort to the snake's fangs, forcing Soul to dive out of the snake's way.

He landed heavily on the ground, swearing as Apophis pressed his advantage and made a beeline for the forest. "Would you just stay still and die already?" Soul yelled in frustration, staggering to his feet. In desperation, he tried jumping onto the snake's back again but Apophis wasn't fooled like last time.

Apophis flattened his body to the ground, speedily whipping out his tail to connect with Soul's airborne body.

Soul raised his scythe just in time so the scythe received the full brunt of the attack. He let out a surprised gasp as he felt the scythe snap in his hands.

Then he was flat on his back, on the ground somehow. He felt something wet drip down the sides of his forehead. He tried to lift his hand but his arm refused to obey him. The world above him seemed to have doubled and was moving in circles.

Beyond his line of vision, he heard a low hissing. That was bad, he thought, but for some reason he couldn't place why. The two suns that circled above him disappeared as the source of the hissing blocked them out.

Soul squinted, trying to get a better look at it but his vision kept whatever was looking at him out of focus. After a long moment, the thing moved away.

Soul tried to sit up but the world was spinning too fast for him to maintain his balance. He felt something metal fall off his body with a clink. He craned his head, trying to see what had fallen. It looked like a piece of a blade.

Out of nowhere, he let out a burst of laughter. "It broke," he said, laughing as darkness crept over his vision.

"It broke."

* * *

_Apophis hummed as he wended his way through the forest. The person it was looking for was near. He could taste her scent in the air as he slithered over the tree roots and fallen leaves. Anticipation made his blood tingle. He could not rest until his job was done. _

_The wind blew in Apophis' direction, blowing the girl's scent all over the snake. She was so close that he could hear her heartbeat. _

_With a triumphant hiss, Apophis burst into a meadow, finally finding his target. _

_The girl stood in the middle of the meadow, staring wide-eyed at the snake. Apophis could smell the fear on her, so pungent and delicious._

_Apophis moved forward, only one thought in his mind._

_Kill._


	6. Chapter 6

Maka played with the stem of a crocus flower restlessly, straining to remember how her mother had woven her flower crown. Her mother's hands had moved so swiftly and surely, she thought as one of the stems of her flowers broke in her hands.

Maka gritted her teeth, determined to get it right by the time she was found. She was so absorbed in what she was doing that she didn't realize until the hissing was ringing in her ears that it had returned, louder than ever.

Leaping to her feet, the flowers in her hands tumbled to the ground, spreading out in a mess of petals and leaves around her. She gaped in fear as what had to be the largest snake in the world slithered toward her, fangs that were as long as her arm bared at her.

Her heart lodged itself in her throat as she backed up, legs shaking. She fell with a yelp to the ground as her feet tangled in with each other. Frantically, she searched the ground for something that she could fight with.

Nothing but tufts of grass and flowers.

She staggered to her feet, balling her hands into fists.

If she was going to get eaten whole by a giant snake, she wasn't going down without a fight.

* * *

Soul came to with a groan, feeling like his head had been set on fire. He opened his eyes slowly, touching the stickiness that clung to his hair. His hand came back painted red. Huh, he was actually bleeding. That hadn't happened since he didn't know when.

He sat up with some difficulty, examining the blood with interest. A reflected gleam caught his eye and he picked up as a piece of his now broken scythe, lying strewn about him in pieces, his memories came back in full force.

Soul pushed himself to his feet, swaying for a moment as the world threatened to spin again. Gazing unhappily for a moment at his broken weapon, he tightened his grip on the shard he held and turned towards the forest.

He knew that he was in no condition to fight at all, that the best thing to do would be to summon Kid (whose ferrying services went beyond shepherding dead souls across the Styx) and save the fight for another day.

Still, he headed back into the trees, stubbornness propelling him forward.

"That's what they want you to do, you know," a voice chimed behind him.

Soul didn't turn to look at Melinoe, instead wending his way through the forest carefully, straining his ears for any sign of the snake. Apophis' trails from before and after their skirmish mixed with each so he couldn't tell which was which.

"Didn't you hear me?" Melinoe's voice lost its whimsical and carefree tone. "You don't even know where you're going!"

Soul paused, feeling the anger and fear in her words. He looked down at her.

Her red eyes were wide, bone-white skin sticking out against the black robe she wore more than usual. She looked exhausted.

"Is he bullying you?" Soul asked quietly.

"What?" Melinoe asked mockingly, crossing her arms tightly around her middle. "Of course not. You just locked your madness inside me, that's all."

"That was a mistake," Soul said, feeling the guilt wash over him as he began to walk again. "The biggest one of my life. I can't change it."

"And now, I'm forced to live with the consequences," Melinoe said bitterly, striding ahead.

She stopped suddenly. "You know what? Do what you want!"

Melinoe disappeared without another word.

Soul stared at the spot where she had stood, open-mouthed. Never before had he seen Melinoe so angry. He'd known that Ogre took a toll on her but he hadn't thought it was this bad.

Reaching inside his robe's pocket, he felt for the skull ring that Kid had gifted him back when Soul first became god of the Underworld.

He was about to slip it on when he heard the scream. He froze, listening hard. The scream rang out again.

Well, it wasn't really a scream. It sounded more a cry, angry and determined.

He only hesitated for a moment before shoving the ring back into his pocket, dashing off deeper into the forest.

As he ran forward, a curious feeling came over him, like what he was going through wasn't real. Maybe it was the bump on the head but his entire reality felt out of focus. He felt like he was moving through quicksand, going nowhere.

He burst into through a stand of trees, a horrifying sight meeting his eyes. In the middle of a meadow, Apophis slithered menacingly, head reared back and mouth open to strike. His eyes were focused on something just in front of him. Soul traced his pointed gaze and felt shock bring his world back into sharp reality.

The girl that stood in front of him had to be a goddess. Her porcelain skin shone with radiance despite her mussed up robe, determination burning in her verdant eyes. She faced the snake with her hands raised in fists.

Soul took a few steps forward, unsure of what he was going to do. He opened his mouth.

"Hey!"

Her eyes, fixed on the snake, broke away suddenly and latched onto Soul. Her jaw went slack as she took in the sight of Soul, hands dropping down to her waist.

Apophis made his move then, striking suddenly. She dodged just in time, running towards Soul. He rushed forward to meet her. The girl nearly crashed into him, skidding to a stop.

"How do we fight it?" she asked breathlessly.

Behind them, Apophis gave a loud hiss as he swiveled his head around, spying the two instantly.

Soul let out a hollow laugh and reached inside of his pocket, pulling out the ring. "We don't."

Her eyes widened. "Then, how-?"

"Come with me?" He held out his hand.

The girl hesitated. "I-"

She glanced behind her at the charging snake. Her eyes widened in fear for an instant and then they narrowed determinedly.

"Yes!" She grabbed his hand, her warm hand encircling Soul's cooler one.

Soul slipped on the ring.


	7. Chapter 7

One moment, Maka was standing in the meadow, about to be eaten by a giant snake.

Then a ghost appeared.

Well, that's what he had seemed like at first, with his ivory hair and burning red eyes. She'd thought that she had been hallucinating, overcome by stress.

But ghosts didn't have their head or clothes matted in blood.

Then he called out to her. And then it was quite clear that he was no ghost.

Maka had ran like her life depended it, narrowly missing a fatal blow from the snake.

She didn't know what he meant when he asked her to come with him but a single glance at the enraged snake behind convinced her to say yes. She had taken hold of his hand and she felt her stomach lurch as if she was being tossed in mid-air, the ground disappearing under her feet. But somehow, she didn't fall.

The world transformed into a fog of shapes and colors, too hazy to make out anything. She clung to the stranger's hand, sure that if she let go that she would be swept away.

Suddenly the ground slammed back under her feet, throwing Maka off balance. She teetered, the stranger's hand the only thing saving her from falling to the ground.

Maka wobbled a bit. She blinked rapidly, doing a double take as she examined her surroundings. It appeared they were standing in the middle of a large cave.

To her right was a large river. On the distant side of the bank she could barely make out the outline of a grand palace carved out of white marble. Mist rose up from the ground, giving it an eerie look. She felt a little pang, however, as she gazed away from the palace. Everything around it was dull and gray. There was no green to be found-no plants, no flowers. It seemed like an unhappy place to live, actually.

With a slight jolt, Maka became aware that the stranger was talking. He'd let go of her hand, pacing nervously as he spoke. "…hope you're not scared, I know that it-"

She interrupted. "Scared? Why would I be scared?"

He stopped pacing, giving her a strange look. "Well, given that you are where you-"

"Which is where, exactly?" she asked impatiently.

His look became more quizzical. "You mean, you don't know what this is?" Maka shook her head. The stranger regarded her thoughtfully. "Then you don't know who I am?"

Maka became slightly annoyed. "Obviously not."

Relief washed over his face for a second. "I would have thought a goddess like yourself would have known."

She felt her face redden slightly. "My mother doesn't like taking me to Mount Olympus. I only ever visited it when I was a baby."

Understanding lit up his eyes. "Then you must be Persephone."

"I prefer Maka act-" she trailed off, eyeing him suspiciously. "Wait, how do you know my name?"

"Every time I see your father, he's always talking about you," he shrugged. "Your name stuck after all those years of hearing it."

Maka ducked her head. "I can't help if my father's an idiot."

He chuckled, eyes crinkling a bit.

She narrowed her eyes. "Well now that you know who I am, who are you exactly?" She took another look around her. "And _where_ are we?"

His smile slid off his face instantly. He broke eye contact with her, resuming his nervous pacing. He began, "Please know that you're safe here, even though this doesn't look like the safest of places." He grimaced slightly. "My name is Soul, though that's not what most people know me by." He gestured around him. "And this is the Underworld, or Hades."

Maka immediately understood. Her mother had told her stories of Hades and its fearsome ruler. But as she considered the boy in front of her, he didn't seem as terrifying as her mother had described. Although, she thought as she wrinkled her nose, Hades itself left something to be desired, aesthetically speaking.

She switched her gaze back to Soul. He was looking at her with a mixture of apprehension and unhappiness. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked curiously.

"Aren't you scared?" he said bewilderedly. He pointed around Hades again. "Of this?" He hesitated. "Of me?"

"Of you?" Maka laughed, crossing her arms. "Why would I be?"

Soul looked slightly affronted. "Aren't I scary?"

She gave him a onceover.

Granted he was quite a sight to see and someone who gave him only a glance may have been terrified. But his red eyes, unusual as they were, seemed kind though somewhat guarded. His white hair was sprinkled with flecks of blood and dirt while his red tunic was torn in several places. In that department, she figured she didn't look much better.

"No, not really," she shrugged.

"But my teeth are frightening, right?" he persisted, baring a set of razor sharp teeth at her.

"Why are you being so stubborn about this?"

"Answer the question!"

Maka fought back a snort. "Good for chewing through tough meat, maybe." She turned away as he spluttered in shock, facing the river. "It's all well and good that we know each other now but are we waiting for anything or are we just standing here?"

Soul moved to stand next to her, recomposed. "We're waiting for someone to pick us up. That snake you saw came from a tunnel not too far from here."

Maka's stomach clenched a little. She glanced nervously into the half-darkness around her. "And we're safe waiting here?"

Soul edged a little closer to Maka, casting a look around. "It should be all right. It would take a while for Apophis to make his way back to the Underworld." He frowned. "Although, Kid should be here by now. He responded quickly enough when I summoned him."

"Apophis? Kid?" Maka questioned.

"Apophis was the snake we just encountered," Soul said grimly. "And Kid is the ferryman of the dead," Soul replied. "You'd know him as Charon."

"Ahh," Maka nodded, her stomach twisting itself into knots as she remembered Apophis' sharp fangs.

Soul squinted into the fog, which had moved from the palace grounds to above the river. "I think that's him now, finally."

Maka scoured the river, searching for what he saw. A hazy shape of a boat with a single figure in it slowly came into focus. He headed slowly towards them, using a long pole to navigate the boat.

As the boat grew closer, she was able to make out the details of Kid. He wore a black tunic that fell to his knees, cinched at the waist with a belt. In the dim light of Hades, his golden eyes seemed to shine.

Curiously, he had three white stripes covering one side of his head but not the other. Soul seemed to have read her mind because right before Kid docked on the riverbank, he leaned down and whispered to her, "Don't ask about the hair."

Maka furrowed her brow slightly. "Why?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Soul muttered as he straightened up, raising a hand to Kid who was getting out of the boat.

"Hello, Soul," Kid greeted, giving Soul a formal salute. He did a small double take as he took in Soul's state. "What happened to you? You look fit for Asura to come and collect you!"

"Gee, thanks," Soul replied, grabbing Maka's hand again and leading her to the boat. "It's a long story that I'll tell you on the boat."

Kid nodded and then looked inquiringly at Maka. "And who is this?"

Maka piped up. "I'm Maka, daughter of Demeter. Soul and I met when I got attacked by a giant snake."

"I se-" Kid's face went blank as he registered Maka's words. "A giant snake."

"Part of the story," Soul said as he helped Maka into the boat. "Get in and I'll start."

Maka listened intently as she heard Soul explain to Kid his side of the story. She tried to keep quiet but she couldn't help interrupting when she heard Arachne's name.

"Arachne?" she asked, looking up from where she gazed at the river. "Who's that?"

"One of the Gorgon sisters," Kid said.

Maka's confused expression didn't leave her face. "Gorgon sisters?"

"A trio of sisters who are immortal like us although they can be killed. They're pretty much immortal monsters," Soul explained. "They like causing their fair share of trouble though it's mostly been your father's problem."

His expression grew cold. "They chose to involve me this time and that was a mistake."

Maka nodded, turning her head back to the river. "What happened next?"

She listened intently as Soul told of his encounter with the snake in Hades, starting in surprise when she mentioned its invulnerability.

"It became invulnerable just by being in the water?" she exclaimed, looking at the river appreciatively. She reached out a hand to touch the surface of the water.

Both Soul and Kid yelled out. "No!"

Maka jumped, startled. She pulled her hand back, looking probingly at the two. "What?"

Soul's face was almost as white as his hair. "It's true that being in the Styx gives you immense powers but at the huge risk that you'll be destroyed." He leaned back into his seat, frowning. "I still can't believe that the snake managed to survive that. It was probably one of the Gorgon sister's magic that protected it."

Maka glanced uneasily at the water that was lapping benignly at the boat. She scooted away from the edge of the boat, closer to Soul. "Why would they do that?"

Kid spoke up. "Arachne didn't speak much when I was taking her across the river but I did notice that she kept looking at the river. At one point, it almost seemed as if she was talking to it. I didn't think much of it at the time but now, it appears that she might have been guiding the snake."

"I shouldn't have listened to her," Soul said grimly. He glanced at Maka. "But then, I wouldn't have been able to help you."

Maka shuddered. "I don't think I would have been able to do much against that monster. The way that he looked it at me…it felt like he had been searching for me." She swallowed hard. "And then looked like he wanted to rip me apart."

Soul and Kid exchanged worried looks.

"A side effect of the river?" Soul asked Kid.

Kid shrugged. "It's possible Apophis' more violent instincts could have been enhanced in his transformation. I've never heard of it but it does not mean it cannot happen. I will look into it."

Soul nodded, his face still scrunched in worry. "But still…how did he fixate on you?" he wondered aloud to Maka.

"I have no idea," Maka said. She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I only visited Mount Olympus once when I was a baby before my mother took me to the forest we live in now. And I've never visited anywhere else all these years."

"You've never been anywhere else?" Soul asked incredulously.

She felt her face redden. "How is that a bad thing?" she retorted at him.

"You haven't seen the world at all," he exclaimed, unknowingly echoing Maka's own words that she had hurled at her mother when she tried to convince Demeter to take her on one of her trips.

"If I may interject, someone fails to leave his own house for days on end," Kid said quietly.

Soul scowled. "That's different. I've chosen to stay in after seeing what the world has to offer me."

Maka laughed. "You weren't impressed?"

"The world doesn't like beings of the Underworld," Soul said.

"Oh," Maka answered awkwardly, feeling a pang as she saw Soul's face fall ever so slightly. She clenched her hands. "Well, that's their problem, isn't it?"

Soul gave her a small smile. "Not sure they'd think that if they saw Asura. Ironic considering he's the one on Earth the most out of all of us."

Kid winced. "My brother is a nightmare to deal with. He's the reason I was late, by the way."

"I thought I told you two to handle it maturely," Soul sighed.

"_I_ was mature about it," Kid sniffed. "Asura kept goading and taunting me."

"I'll talk to him," Soul promised. "Not that it's likely that he'll listen."

"Hmmph, the day he listens is the day my hair is finally symmetric," Kid snorted. "Ah, here we are." The boat bumped gently into a tiny wooden dock Maka hadn't noticed. Kid tossed a rope onto one of the dock's poles, tightening it securely.

Soul addressed Kid as he helped Maka out of the boat. "Kid, have Liz and Patti take Cerberus to the tunnel the snake used and have him guard the entrance. I think he'll be enough to hold off the snake if he tries to come back here."

"On it," Kid said with a swift nod of his head. He gave Maka a little bow and untied the rope from the dock, pushing away from the bank with a push of his pole. The fog swallowed him up quickly as he headed further downstream.

"Er, this way," Soul said, gesturing to a stone path that led to the palace. He half-lifted his hand, as if he was going to offer his arm before awkwardly letting it drop to his waist. The weight of all that happened in the past hour seemed to drop down heavily onto Maka's shoulders as she walked up the stairs leading to the palace.

Her mind raced from one thought to the next, moving too frantically to make sense of anything.

She entered the palace, not taking in any of the large hall's grand decorations. She stared worriedly at the floor, thinking of her mother and if she had returned to the meadow yet. Her heart tightened painfully as she pictured her mother returning to pick up her daughter and finding her gone.

"Hey."

Maka looked up. Soul looked concernedly at her. "Are you okay?"

She wrapped her arms around her middle. "Not really. I think the shock is setting in."

He tentatively put a hand on her shoulder, touch light as a feather. "Let's find somewhere comfortable for you to sit. Then we can talk." Soul led her to out of the hall and into a small room that lay off in a side corridor.

A fire burned brightly in a small hearth. The sound of fire crackling soothed Maka somehow. She looked around slowly, eyes widening as she took in the shelves lining the room. They were full of scrolls, the most that she had ever seen her life.

"Are all of these yours?" she asked disbelievingly. She took a few steps toward, raising a hand to take a scroll off the shelf. She read the title aloud. "The Illiad?"

"You'd like that one. Great war story. Some of gods you might know make a couple appearances." Soul reclined in one of the chairs by the fireplace.

Maka felt a pang as she saw how clearly exhausted Soul was, dried blood standing out against his hair. She returned the scroll to the shelf, looking at him anxiously. "Do you want to take a rest before we talk? I don't mind."

He shook his head. "It's all right. Have a seat."

She perched on the edge of the armchair beside his. They sat quietly for a couple minutes. Maka clasped her hands, gazing into the fire. The way the wood snapped and crackled was comforting somehow.

"So," Soul began, breaking the silence. "That sure was something, wasn't it?"

Maka laughed nervously, relieved that the tension was broken. "It certainly wasn't what I expected." Her smile faded. "I just hope my mother hasn't come down from Mount Olympus yet," she said worriedly.

She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. "That's why I hope you won't find it offensive but I have to leave right away. I can't imagine how she would react when she can't find me."

Soul nodded slowly, eyes downcast. Then, he looked up. "The magic in here is such that it would take a few hours to prepare a safe passage for you."

He paused before continuing. "However, if you were amenable to it, I'd like for you to stay here until we can learn what the Gorgon sisters are planning. The way Apophis reacted to you certainly wasn't normal and I think you'd be safest here." Soul gestured above him. "I couldn't promise the same up there."

Maka opened her mouth to speak and then lapsed into silence, her hand drifting to play with her crown which had managed to stay affixed to her head somehow. She pictured the way Apophis' eyes had followed her every move as if she was an animal he was hunting. Then, she tried to imagine what would happen if she went back to Earth, back to her mother, and the snake tracked her down again. What would happen to her mother?

Cringing, Maka closed her eyes, refusing to think of what could happen.

And then there was the matter of whether she could even trust Soul or not. After all, she had just met him. She opened her eyes. "If I stay," she began. "Do you think you could ask my mother to come as well?" Maka looked at him pleadingly. "I'm terrified something bad might happen to her."

Soul didn't answer right away, instead studying her face. Then, he nodded. "If you would like, I will send for her."

Maka sat back in the chair, a relieved smile spreading across her face. "Then, I'll stay."


	8. Chapter 8

Soul searched frantically through the palace, looking for Liz and Patti. He hadn't really expected that Maka was going to take up his offer but now that she did, he had a million things to do.

After settling Maka in one of his many spare rooms, where she had promptly collapsed on the bed, he'd gone off to find the two valley nymphs that served him. He'd searched the kitchen for the millionth time before realizing that he'd sent Kid to have them take care of Cerberus.

He hurried out of the palace and down the stone path, fervently hoping that the two were on their way back.

"Hey, Soul!" Patti's voice rang out brightly behind him. Soul turned, away from the direction of the river where he was headed. Patti clasped several dull colored flowers in her hands while Liz carried an empty canvas sack.

"There you are," he said, relieved. "Did you take care of Cerberus?"

Liz shook her head. "He was where he should have been this morning when we fed him but when we looked for him right now, we couldn't find him."

"He's probably playing hide and seek," Patti said brightly. "He's gotten much better at it now."

Soul frowned. This didn't bode well. Cerberus was one of his best security measures in the Underworld. Without him, the snake was much more likely to get back into the Underworld.

_If Apophis wasn't in here already._

"Listen," he said uneasily. "I'll go look for him myself. Right now, I need you to help me with some-"

"Why did you want us to check on Cerberus anyways, Soul?" Liz questioned. She wrinkled her nose. "If I had known that I would have had to deal with that three-headed nightmare for the rest of my afterlife, I wouldn't have let Patti convince me not to enter Elysium."

"Cerberus isn't a nightmare!" Patti interjected. "You just don't like him because he has worse breath than you do, when you wake up in the morning."

"You don't have to feed th-" Liz's face scrunched up in a frown. "Wait, what do you mean bad br-"

Soul interrupted. "If we could get to the matter at hand."

The two valley nymphs both glared at him with the same scornful look.

"What is it, Soul?" Liz sighed. "You look like you're going to keel over or something."

"Did Spirit send Hermes to visit you again?" Patti asked, giggling.

Soul scowled. "No, it's not that." He paused, unsure of how to proceed. "Uh, so there is a girl in my house and I kinda need your help."

"Our help?" Liz snorted. "I don't think that's the kind of thing you need help with, Soul."

Soul felt his face burn, blood boiling under his skin. "It's not that way!" He stared daggers at Patti, who had erupted into a fit of laughter. "Don't laugh-I'm telling you it's not like that!"

"Then, please enlighten us to how it is, Soul," Liz said.

"Yeah," Patti agreed. "If you don't like this girl, then why is she here?"

Soul quickly told the bare-bones version of what had happened in the past few hours, and leaving out that yes, he did actually like this girl and that he happened to think this girl was quite beautiful.

Patti let out a gasp when he explained why he sent them to place Cerberus at the tunnel's entrance. "That mean snake could have hurt him!" she exclaimed worriedly. "We have to find him!"

Liz placed a hand on Patti's shoulder. "Relax, Patti. Cerberus is strong. I'm sure he's fine."

"And it's safer if I'm the one looking for him," Soul said. "Right now I need you two to make sure that Maka feels at home here while I send a message to her mother. I don't want her feeling out of place or scared here."

"Why would she feel scared here?" Patti asked curiously. "This place is wonderful."

"Maka told me about the forest she lives in," Soul said. He glanced around the Underworld. "From what it sounds like, it's bright and colorful there and this place…is not."

"Patti is right, though," Liz said. "I know it is a bit gloomy here but it isn't bad necessarily."

"That's high praise coming from you," Soul grinned.

Liz grabbed Patti's hand, pulling her towards the palace. "Don't expect it often. C'mon, Patti. We've got a job to do."

Soul raised a hand in farewell and headed for the giant iron aviary beside his garden. Before he went looking for Cerberus, there was something he needed to do. With a wave of his hand, he called down a raven perched on a bar near the top.

It settled onto his extended arm, its head tilted to one side. Soul murmured a few words to it, speaking softly. Then he raised his arm and the bird took flight, wide wings beating against the air.

* * *

Maka woke to the sound of excited voices.

"Hmmmph," she said into the pillow, rolling over. She snuggled into the blankets. "I'm not home. I'm sleeping."

Her eyes flew open, taking in the unfamiliar room. "I'm not home."

"That's right," someone said conversationally. Maka sat up, blinking blearily.

Two blonde girls beamed at Maka. They wore one-shouldered white chitons, their golden hair wrapped in an elegant updo. The girl on the left spoke. "I'm Liz," she said. "And this is Patti, my sister." The girl beside Liz waved merrily. "We used to be valley nymphs."

"Used to?" Maka asked, rubbing her eyes. She reached for her crown of flowers that she had left on the table beside the bed before collapsing in exhaustion. The feel of the petals under her fingers was reassuring in this alien world.

"Some things happened and we kind of work for Soul now," Liz explained evasively.

"I see," Maka said slowly, turning the crown over in her hands. "Not to be rude but why are you in here?"

"Soul sent us," Liz said matter-of-factly. "He wanted to make sure that you felt at ease here." She gave Maka a onceover. "It looks like you need a bath."

Maka chuckled a little, putting the crown to the side. She stretched, feeling her sore muscles ache. "I certainly feel like it."

Liz stood up. "Patti, you take Maka and I'll go find some clothes for her to wear."

"Sure thing, sis!" Patti said as Liz walked out of the room.

"C'mon!" Patti grabbed Maka by the hand, pulling her out of the bed. Maka let out a sound of amazement, surprised at how strong Patti was. She led Maka out of her room and down the hallway opened the door to the room next door. The room was completely covered in white tile. On the far side of the room was a bath tub, almost as large as Maka's room back home.

Patti pulled a lever by the door and steaming hot water began pouring from the faucet of the tub immediately.

Pointing to a row of several containers sitting on a built-in shelf of the tub, Patti explained, "Those are some shampoos and perfumes you can use while you get clean. There's another lever you can pull when the bath is full by the shelf."

Maka stepped further into the room and gave her a smile. "Thank you, Patti."

"Take as long as you need," Patti sang. "I'll be outside if you need me." She closed the door behind her.

With a word of thanks, Maka quickly stripped off her robe. It dropped to the floor, covered in dirt stains and rips. She picked it up and looked at it sadly. It had been her finest garment and now it looked like the robe her mother wore to work in the forest.

She placed it to the side and stepped cautiously into the tub. Maka let out an involuntary sigh of contentment as the scorching water nipped at her skin, raw from her many falls today. Sinking into the water, she felt her aches fade away into nothing. She dipped her head back, lying quietly in the rising water for a while.

When the water nearly reached the top, she pulled the lever Patti had shown her and examined the bottles on the shelf. She put a few experimental drops of each one on her hand, inhaling their heavenly smell. It wasn't until she heard a knock on the door and a cautious "You all right in there?" from Liz that she quit playing around.

After she was finished bathing, Maka quickly rose from the bath, wrapping her shivering body in a towel. Drying her hair with another towel, she opened the door, peering her head out to look for Liz and Patti.

"Ready?" Liz asked, appearing out of nowhere.

Maka jumped slightly. "Y-Yes, I am."

Liz led her back to her room, where Patti held out an elegant black chiton. It molded to her body as she slipped into it, so soft that it felt as if it was made out of water. It was detailed at the shoulders with little red embroidering.

"What do you think?" Liz asked as she directed Maka to a table with a mirror fitted above it.

Maka's eyes widened as she took herself in. She didn't look like herself. Her hair, which was almost always in pigtails flowed past her shoulders, making her look more grown up. And the chiton, with its black color, contrasted sharply against her skin, giving her an ethereal look.

She looked beautiful.

Maka smiled widely. "I love it."


	9. Chapter 9

Demeter inhaled deeply, enjoying the cold freshness of the mountain air in her lungs. She stood in the shadows of the gate that led to Mount Olympus, waiting to be received.

There were times that Demeter missed the Mount Olympus.

The view from its peak was one of the reasons why. The sun, which looked close enough to touch, cast a dappled light onto Mount Olympus, giving it an ethereal look. From this height, it was possible to see how the land stretched out forever, seemingly, until it disappeared into the horizon. It made Demeter's heart sing to observe the breathtaking beauty her beloved nature had to offer.

It almost made her want to come back sometimes.

The gate opened. "Fool!"

But most of the time, she was happy she left when she did. Demeter composed her face into one of complete indifference before turning around.

"Hermes," she said, with a nod of her head.

"Fool!" he cried again. "Weren't you here when the stars dubbed me the great and almighty Excalibur?"

Demeter resisted the urge to punch Excalibur's very large nose. Instead, she calmly replied, "Excalibur, I've only been here twice in the past eighteen years."

"You have no one to blame but yourself then."

Demeter could feel her patience slipping. "Would it be possible to just take me to Spirit?" she asked through slightly gritted teeth.

"And why do you need to see him?" Excalibur asked imperiously.

"He's the one who needs to see me," Demeter snapped, losing her patience completely.

She didn't wait for Excalibur to answer but pushed past him, striding down the long archway that led to the golden palace of Mount Olympus. She flung open the double doors that opened to Spirit's throne room. Demeter heard several gasps, the biggest one coming from Spirit himself.

He sat, face in frozen in surprise, on his throne.

Demeter couldn't deny that he still looked as handsome as ever. Just as she couldn't deny that he hadn't appeared to grow up, given the gaggle of nymphs and goddesses surrounded him.

Spirit seemed to have recovered from his shock. "Demeter…"

"My most sincere apologies if I interrupted anything," Demeter said smoothly. She walked further into the room. "But I would have thought the ruler of Mount Olympus would be more," she paused, eyes sweeping the room with a disdainful look, "_professional."_

"What are you doing here, Demeter?" Spirit asked weakly, as if he still couldn't believe his eyes.

The scorn in Demeter's voice gave way to annoyance. "Don't play dumb with me, Spirit. You called me here didn't you? What do you need?"

"I called you here?" Spirit echoed her.

He frowned, addressing Excalibur who had sauntered into the room. "Excalibur, you didn't send for Demeter, did you?"

"Everyone knows that the proper time to send for a person is on a starless light, by the light of the full moon," was Excalibur's reply.

Spirit blinked.

"Then, who called me here?" Demeter demanded, infuriated.

She pulled a scroll that she had tucked in her sash, unfurling it. Striding up to Spirit, she waved it in his face. "This is your seal, is it not?"

"Yes," Spirit said in a bewildered tone as he took the scroll from her, face growing more and more confused as he read the message.

When he was done reading, he looked up at Demeter.

"Well?" Demeter asked impatiently when he didn't say anything.

"I don't know what to say," Spirit said slowly. "The seal is definitely mine but I did not send this to you."

The words had barely left his mouth and then Demeter was turning on her heel, making for the exit.

"Wait!" she heard Spirit call.

Demeter didn't turn back. "I have no business being here, Spirit. You know I loathe coming here."

In a low voice, she muttered, "To think I brought Maka here for this…"

Unexpectedly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Pulling away, she turned to see Spirit, who'd actually risen from where he sat to follow her.

When he spoke, his voice held nothing of his usual overconfidence. "You brought Maka? Here?"

Demeter was surprised by the soft look that entered his eyes when Spirit mentioned her daughter. Their daughter.

"Against my better judgment," she said coldly, masking her sympathy. "And now, I have to go to her. You might want to check your guard. I don't want this happening again."

"You didn't bring her with you?" Spirit asked, looking behind her, as if Maka would magically appear.

Demeter resumed walking. "No, I didn't want to bring her _here,_" she said, giving a scornful look to the whole room.

For a moment, she thought Spirit was going to ask to see Maka but Demeter reached the door with no further protest from Spirit.

Just like the first time she left, eighteen years ago.

* * *

Soul spent at least an hour searching the outskirts of the Underworld before finding Cerberus, with a wound in his side that definitely looked like a snake bite. Swearing under his breath, he examined the wound. It didn't seem too deep nor did it seem infected with poison. "Cerberus?" Soul called cautiously, seeing if the three-headed dog was conscious at all.

One of Cerberus' heads perked up as he caught the familiar sound of his master. He strained to stand, giving a little whine when one of his legs gave out.

"Easy, there," Soul said, patting his side. "Just rest."

He knelt down and tore a long strip of cloth from his robe, quickly cleaning and wrapping the wound as best as he could. Soul stood, looking at his handiwork. It certainly was nothing compared to Liz and Patti's healing prowess but it was all he could do for the moment. He gave Cerberus another pat. "I'm going for help, okay?"

Cerberus gave a half-hearted wag of his tail before all three of his heads closed their eyes.

Soul found Liz and Patti coming from Maka's room, pleased looks on their faces.

"Hey, Soul," Liz said as she caught sight of him.

"Did you find Cerberus?" Patti asked, her blue eyes wide with worry as she took in the grim expression on Soul's face.

Soul braced himself-Patti was generally cheerful and easy-going but there were a few things that changed the sweet nymph into someone even Asura wouldn't dare take on. Sure enough, the words "Cerberus is hurt" had Patti contorting her face in a look of pure rage and dashing down the hallway, Liz right behind her.

Soul watched them go, knowing it wouldn't be wise to try to stop Patti from going. He looked at Maka's door, his hands suddenly feeling clammy. He'd meant to ask Liz and Patti how Maka was doing but the discovery of Cerberus had driven the thought from his mind. Soul walked to her door, lifting a hand to knock. He stopped his hand before it reached the door, losing his nerve.

He began to rapidly walk back down the hallway, stomach full of knots, but then he abruptly turned, walking back to the door. He knocked once before he could chicken out.

"Who is it?" He could hear light footsteps within the room.

"M-me," his voice came out sounding high-pitched and nervous. He desperately wished for a hole to swallow him whole, even getting eaten by that snake would have been better than this. Instead, he cleared his voice. "I mean, it's Soul," he said, hoping he sounded more like himself.

The door swung open. "Hi, Soul!"

Soul had to fight to keep his jaw from falling open.

If he had thought Maka was beautiful with twigs in her hair and dirt smearing her face, she was downright radiant all cleaned up.

Liz and Patti had put her in a black chiton that had set off her pale skin, making it seem luminous. It wrapped around her body perfectly, showing off her figure. With her hair down, she seemed more grown up. It was her eyes that really took his breath away. Perhaps it had been the gloom of the Underworld but in the light, they glowed like living emeralds.

Not wanting to seem like he was gawking, Soul looked down. Maka held the flower crown she'd been wearing before, playing with it idly.

She followed his gaze and blushed a little. "My mother made it for me. It's a little childish, isn't it?"

"No, no," Soul started blushing himself. "We don't see flowers like those in the Underworld. They're pretty."

She smiled at him, putting the crown on her head. "Thank you."

"And you look," Soul paused, "clean."

Maka looked like she was trying to fight a laugh. "Thanks." She gave him a glance from head to toe. "I'm sorry I can't say the same about you."

Soul looked down at his robe, which was peppered with rips and tears and the occasional bloodstain. He gave a nervous laugh. "Think I'm going to go fix that. You can stay in your room, if you want. I just wanted to see if you were comfortable enough," Soul said as he began to make his retreat.

She stopped him. "Actually, I was wondering if I could explore your library." An almost reverent look entered her eyes. "I've never seen so many stories before."

Soul grinned, relieved that there was at least one part of the Underworld that she liked. "Of course. Do you want help finding the room?"

"I have a pretty good memory," Maka said proudly, stepping out her doorway and into the hallway. "I'll be fine on my own. See you soon!"

She eagerly strode off.

Soul chuckled, making his way to his rooms at the end of the hall. He grimaced at his appearance in the mirror. He looked a bit like a corpse brought back to life.

Along with his dirty and ripped up clothes, cuts and bruises dotted his body, especially so on his arms where the scythe had shattered along his body. He groaned a little at thought of making a new scythe to replace it. He considered cleaning off the layer of dirt with a hot bath but he decided against it, unsure if he would be able to leave the tub once he stepped in. Instead, he soaked a towel in hot water, scrubbing at his face and neck vigorously.

When he entered his study, he still looked a bit like one of the undead, albeit with fresh clothes.

Maka had settled comfortably into the chair next to his, seemingly relaxed. She was absorbed in reading a scroll, her eyebrows knit in concentration. Soul felt a little surprised. Even when Liz and Patti first came to the Underworld, it had taken them a week to feel fully at home.

At the sound of Soul's footsteps, Maka looked up and brightened. "Hey!"

Soul took a seat next to Maka. "You seem to be enjoying that," he said, gesturing at the scroll.

"I already have a pile of all the stories I want to read," Maka said sheepishly, pointing to a pile of scrolls at her feet. "However," she rolled up the scroll. "I do have a few questions about this place."

Soul chuckled at the avid curiosity in her eyes. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

Maka made a face at him and then commenced to bombard Soul with questions about everything and anything about the Underworld, what the inhabitants were like, what was his job exactly and a million other queries that Soul himself had barely even thought about before this.

He had spent a good half hour just explaining the Underworld's geography when he heard a distinct rumble coming from Maka.

"I'm so sorry," Maka said, a faint blush reddening her cheeks. "I haven't eaten since this morning."

Soul felt his heart sink. This hadn't been a problem he'd foreseen.

He tapped his fingers nervously against the arm of his chair. "I'd offer you something to eat but…"

"What is it?" Maka prompted, sitting up. The smile she'd worn while they were talking had faded, a wary frown taking its place.

"It's not that I can't give you something to eat," Soul had said slowly. "It's that, if you even took a bite of the food here, you'd have to stay here forever."

Soul watched Maka warily as his words registered with Maka, her eyes widening in shock.

"Not even a drink of water?" Maka asked, a frown tracing her lips.

Soul shook his head. "Unfortunately not."

She was silent for a few moments but then, to his surprise, she brightened up. "It's okay!" she said. "My mother's coming, right? She'll probably bring something from the outside world to eat."

"That's right!" Soul grinned. He'd completely forgotten about the message he'd sent to Demeter.

"I wonder when she'll be coming," Maka wondered aloud.

"I sent a messenger raven to her about a couple hours ago," Soul replied. "She should be on her way here by now."

"Now that I think about it, I'm not so sure that's a good thing," Maka joked. "I'm sure after she's done smothering me, she'll start scolding my ear off for wandering off."

"At least, you won't have to 'ear her once that happens," Soul offered.

Maka burst into peals of laughter. Soul joined her and for a long time, neither could look at the other without laughing again.

Maka was the first to compose herself, wiping a tear from her eye. "That was terrible."

"But you laughed," Soul pointed out, still chuckling.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence.

"So," Soul said slowly. "What is there to know about you?" he asked teasingly.

"Actually, nothing much," Maka admitted. "I've lived with my mother in a small forest my whole life and you know I haven't traveled at all." She frowned. "My mother means the best but I feel like I've missed out on a lot."

Soul nodded sympathetically. "That must have been frustrating."

"It was!" The words burst from Maka with more passion than she meant to show but she didn't care. "I had no friends growing up, no one to talk to but my mother and some stuffy nymphs. There were some days that I just felt perpetually stuck in the same cycle." She clenched her hands, heartbeat thudding in her ears. "I felt trapped and I had to act like it didn't bother me!"

She took a deep breath and continued in a calmer voice. "But my mother did everything to make me happy and she gave me everything I ever wanted so it didn't feel right complaining either. It was just…I don't know." Maka ducked her head. "Sorry. I must sound ungrateful."

"No," Soul said. "You sound lonely. That's not wrong."

Maka felt her mouth curve in a small smile.

"And," Soul said, visibly hesitating. "You're more than welcome to visit here any time, after this mess is sorted out."

"Really?" Maka asked.

"If you want to," Soul added quickly. "I know this place isn't idyllic."

A knock on the door interrupted whatever Maka had been about to say.

Kid opened the door and poked his head into the room. "Sorry to disturb you, Soul, but we need to talk." Kid's golden eyes widened almost imperceptibly, conveying the urgency his words belied.

Soul glanced uneasily at Maka. "This probably involves you and it might not be pleasant. Do you want to stay?"

Maka's gaze seemed to turn inward. She hunched her shoulders as she considered. Then, she straightened. "Yes, I want to hear this."

"Come in, Kid," Soul said.

Kid took a seat in the chair opposite of Soul.

"All right, Kid, what's all the excitement about?" Soul stretched tiredly in his armchair, the exhaustion from the day's events finally setting in.

Kid straightened, interlacing his fingers. "Based on Arachne's actions as well as what she divulged to you, I went back to the Archeron to investigate. I managed to find the place where Medusa entered the Underworld and then I traced the trail to the Styx, where she released Apophis. Then the Styx told me-"

"Told you?" Maka interrupted, leaning forward in interest. "How does a river speak you?"

"That was badly phrased," Kid said. "I should say, there are certain magic in my profession that allows the river to "speak" to me in a way." A slightly indignant look entered Kid's eyes. "And to think that my rivers were so mistreated! To be used as a weapon instead of their proper purpose of being the balance between the living and the dead. Never in my-"

"The point, Kid," Soul cut in.

Kid smiled timorously. "I apologize, any offense done to any of the rivers I guard is a personal offense to me. Anyways, using the remnants of what remained of Medusa's magic with mine, I managed to create a shadow recreation of the magic she used."

"And?" Soul asked when Kid didn't continue.

"As you know, there needs to be a certain protection placed on those who mean to enter the Styx who haven't been authorized by the gods to do so," Kid said.

"Yes," Soul said slowly.

"However, the protection that Medusa placed on the snake was modified," Kid said, throwing a worried glance at Maka.

"Modified?" Maka echoed. "How?"

"She used the power of the Styx to lay a curse on you, Maka." Kid's expression grew grim. "That snake is bewitched to kill you or die in the attempt."

* * *

Maka felt her hands go limp in her lap. She barely registered Soul's and Kid's voices, shock numbing her body.

_"That snake is bewitched to kill you." _The words echoed in Maka's ear, repeating over and over until it became an intolerable din in her mind.

"Maka?" Soul's voice seemed to come from far away. She raised her head. Soul gazed at her worriedly. "Do you want to go to your room?"

With some effort, Maka shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She gripped the arms of her chair hard and stood. Her head seemed to clear a bit.

"What happens now?" she asked, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.

"We bring your mother here as quickly as possible and then we close the entrances to the Underworld," Soul said, rising from his chair. "I'll go myself. Kid, prepare the seals as quickly as possible."

"Right," Kid said. With a slight bow to Maka and Soul, he strode out of the room.

Maka felt relief dilute the panic that had been coursing through her body. It would be all right. It had to be.

"I should get going too," Soul said, wincing as he rubbed a purpling bruise on his shoulder.

"Are you going to be okay going out like that?" Maka asked. She felt a pang as she took in Soul's injuries, far worse than her own.

"Nah," Soul said. "Now that we know who the snake is really after, I should be fine."

"Though, I probably should bathe-I might have some of your scent on me from earlier," Soul said, face suddenly reddening.

Maka felt her face redden as well and she searched for something to say to break the awkward pause. "And I don't suppose it'd be wise if I came along?" she asked.

"Then what would be the point of going through all this trouble to keep you safe?" Soul said teasingly.

Maka stuck out her tongue. "It doesn't hurt to ask!"

"I know you have to be worried about your mother," Soul said, stepping closer to her to catch her eyes. "But the only one in real danger here is you."

"It's not just my mother that I'm worried about! I'm worried about yo-anyone who has to be up there with that monster," Maka said, hunching her shoulders. "I mean, thank you for doing this all for me," she mumbled in a rush, looking down as her heartbeat sped up.

"It's really you I should be thanking."

Maka looked up to see that Soul was as flushed as she was. They stood like that in silence. Soul broke the moment, gesturing to the pile of the scrolls on the ground. "I'll be back before you get through one of those."

"I don't know if I'll be able to concentrate very well," Maka said doubtfully, her heart still racing. "But okay."


	10. Chapter 10

Gone.

Her daughter was gone.

Demeter trembled in the meadow, whether from grief or rage she didn't know. As soon as she had left Spirit, it had dawned on her that perhaps whoever had sent the false summons hadn't been after her or Spirit. She'd flown back to her chariot and forced her horses to run down the whole of Mount Olympus at top speed. They had barely cleared the base when she reined them into a sudden halt, dropping the reins and leaping off the chariot.

Demeter had burst into the meadow to come upon a terrible scene.

The nymphs in which she had entrusted her daughter with had all been turned to stone, varying degrees of horror and fear on their faces. The meadow itself was a mess. It looked like a tornado had ripped through it, chunks of earth ripped out from the ground.

She'd been barely able to keep her composure as she forced herself to look into each of their faces, sure that one would be her daughter's, green eyes petrified into the dull gray of stone.

The relief she felt when she went through all of the statues and found her daughter was not part of them was cut short when she realized that she had no clue where Maka was at all.

She started to comb the edge of the forest that lined the meadow, letting out a growl of frustration when she found nothing.

The plants around her started to wither, turning a sickening yellow color. Underneath her feet, the grass began to yellow rapidly.

Demeter gasped. She hadn't lost control since she officially became nurturer of the earth. She took a deep breath and swallowed hard, trying to calm herself.

_What was there she could do?_ She asked herself. Searching for Maka as she was right now was almost certainly useless.

Demeter bit her lip as she turned to look at the mountain that was looming over her.

She sighed. There was no other choice.

* * *

"Gone?" Spirit repeated.

"That's what I just said, didn't I?" Demeter said through gritted teeth.

Her barging into the palace of Mount Olympus for the second time today hadn't seemed to lessen Spirit's surprise of seeing her here. At least, he'd had the sense to dismiss the crowd in the throne room.

"I don't know why I thought it'd be a good idea to come here." Demeter paced back and forth in front of him, unable to keep still. Her feet itched to be off, searching for her daughter.

But she needed Spirit's help to do that.

Demeter reached deep for patience. "Maka is gone. Kidnapped most likely, based on the scene in the meadow. As her father, it's your responsibility to help me find her." At this, she finally stopped pacing and looked entreatingly at Spirit. "Please," she said, hating that she sounded so helpless. "I won't be able to find her without you."

Spirit was silent for so long that Demeter began to question whether he even heard her. She was about to say something when Spirit finally spoke.

"Hecate!"

Demeter started. "Why are you ca-"

A door on the right of Spirit's throne opened.

"You called?" A soft voice asked. Hecate's earth form, Marie came in.

Demeter understood immediately. She turned to Spirit. "You think Hecate's sky form could have seen something."

Spirit nodded. "It's the best place to start."

"Not bad," Demeter said grudgingly. Spirit turned back to Marie, however, she no longer stood before him but instead a woman with short black hair stood in Marie's place, a stern look on her face.

"What have you messed up this time, Spirit?" Azusa demanded.

Spirit turned from regal ruler into a sulky child. "I've done nothing, you bossy little brat! Stop assuming the worst about me!"

"I will when you stop giving me cause to," Azusa sniffed.

Demeter smiled faintly in spite of herself. Azusa had been one of the very few in Mount Olympus that Demeter could refer to as a friend. Perhaps it was because they both could get under Spirit's skin like no one else.

"What were you hoping I saw?" Azusa was saying, crossing her arms. "A new lady love perhaps?"

Demeter interrupted while Spirit spluttered indignantly. "No, my daughter Maka. I believe she was kidnapped."

Azusa frowned. "Explain."

Quickly, Demeter related how she had left Maka behind and the scene she came upon when she went to fetch Maka. Azusa's frown grew deeper the longer Demeter spoke. When Demeter was finished, Azusa was quiet for a few minutes.

Finally she spoke. "I need to see this for myself. Wait here." Without another word, she vanished in a wave of smoke in front of Demeter's eyes.

Demeter resumed her anxious pacing. By now, Spirit had gotten over himself and talking, half to himself, half to Demeter.

"Do you remember when Maka was born?" he said dreamily.

"Yes, I was there," Demeter said tersely. "And you weren't. I believe you were at a rendezvous with one of your nymphs."

Spirit had the grace to look ashamed. "I didn't know you knew."

Demeter stopped pacing, glaring at him. "I knew everything. It was only because of my gracious generosity that I didn't make it public. Although I don't know why, I'm sure at least half of Mount Olympus knew of your dalliances, whether from personal experience or gossip."

Spirit's response was cut off by the re-appearance of Azusa. Azusa flicked off some dust from the sleeve of her black and white robe. "I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I found out who attacked your daughter."

"Who was it?" Demeter asked breathlessly.

From her sleeve, Azusa pulled a small scale. It was black but it had an odd silver glow to it. "This is a scale from a snake that was formerly part of the Gorgon sister known as Medusa," Azusa said. "From what I saw, it attacked your daughter."

"But why?" Demeter said weakly. "What would they want to do with Maka?"

Azusa shrugged. "As to that, I have no idea. Nor do I have any idea where your daughter is. However…" She reached into her sleeve again, pulling what looked like the shard of a blade.

"Is that what I think it is?" Spirit asked, speaking for the first time.

Azusa nodded. "One of the invulnerable weapons. Blessed by the River Styx."

The phrase rang a bell in Demeter's mind. "Those belong to Hades, don't they?"

Again, Azusa nodded. She held the scale and the shard close to each other. "Notice anything similar between the two?"

Demeter examined them. They both had the same silver sheen. "The snake was in the River Styx? Hades was helping them?"

Spirit inhaled sharply. "It's not possible. The kid's a brat but he would never side with the Gorgon sisters."

Demeter strained to remember what Hades looked like. The stories of him she knew but she wasn't sure if she'd ever seen him, seeing as he hardly ever ventured from the Underworld. What she certainly did recall was hearing he had a proclivity for madness.

Azusa echoed her thoughts. "You know he was somewhat odd, Spirit. The loneliness from being isolated in the Underworld may have caused him to snap. And he's the only one who could have possibly let in Medusa to work her magic."

Spirit shook his head but the expression on his face was wavering.

Demeter remembered the bad news Azusa had mentioned. "And the bad news?" she asked.

"I don't know where your daughter is," Azusa said. "I wasn't in my sky form when she was kidnapped. But that doesn't mean there isn't someone who didn't see what happened."

"And that is?" Spirit asked.

The palace doors crashed open, drowning out Azusa's answer.

A figure dressed in all black stepped in. His red eyes had a slightly eccentric glow to them. He pulled the hood from his head, revealing a shock of white hair.

He addressed Demeter. "I am Soul, also known as Hades. I have your daughter."


	11. Chapter 11

The journey to Mount Olympus had taken longer than Soul had expected, since certain charms blocked using the ring he used to summon Kid to transport him. Curiously, when Soul made it to the top, there had been no guard at the gates. It had been easy enough to enter.

Only three people were in the throne room when he opened the doors: Spirit, a woman who matched Maka's description of Demeter and a goddess who he had seen enough to recall that her name was Azusa.

They gaped at him in silence, which Soul took advantage to make his introduction. Admittedly, Soul didn't think that he would be received with open arms when he introduced himself to Demeter. He'd seen enough of people's reactions, both immortal and mortal, to know he was never a welcome presence.

But what he hadn't expected was for Demeter to launch herself across the room, grabbing hold of his wrists and shrieking for him to give back her daughter.

Soul had been too stunned to do anything but freeze. Luckily for him, Spirit had reacted quickly, prying Demeter off of him.

"Let go of me!" Demeter shouted, ripping herself free from Spirit's arms. However, while she threw several poisonous looks at Soul, she refrained from attacking him again.

Soul eyed Demeter. Although she and Maka bore many similarities, there was a certain hardness in her eyes that made her green eyes icy.

Melinoe's giggle echoed in Soul's ears. "You sounded like a kidnapper."

He looked down. Melinoe's pale face beamed up at him, her eyes glowing mischievously. "Get out of here!" he hissed.

"Afraid I can't do that," she sang, starting to circle him.

A harsh voice cut in. "Who are you talking to?"

Soul looked up. Azusa fixed Soul with a piercing gaze that would even make Asura stop in his tracks. Beside her, Spirit and Demeter also looked at him perplexedly.

Soul snapped his mouth with an audible click, mentally berating himself. He was almost always alone so he forgot others couldn't see Melinoe. "Nothing," he said.

He stiffened involuntarily as Melinoe spoke again. "Haven't you figured out by now that while you may have erased me from your body, you'll never erase me from your mind?"

"Hades!"

He snapped to attention, glaring at Azusa. "Soul is my name."

She crossed her arms. "Well then, _Soul,_ would you like to explain why you're here?"

"I was trying to," Soul said frustrated, ignoring Melinoe's whispers. "But she attacked me," he said, jabbing a finger to Demeter.

"We'd just finished talking about you and emotions were running high," Azusa said smoothly. She tossed a glance at Spirit. "Take the lead while I go find someone."

Without waiting for Spirit's answer, she swiftly exited the room.

Spirit cleared his throat. "Right, so what are you doing with my daughter?" Spirit's expression changed as he registered his own words. _"What are you doing with my daughter?"_

"Relax, old man!" Soul shot back, temper flaring. "You should be thanking me. If I hadn't been there, Maka would have died!"

"We know that you conspired with the Gorgons," Demeter seethed, obviously unable to contain herself.

Soul went numb with shock. "What?"

For a moment, it looked like Demeter was going to attack him again. But then she spoke in a rush, flinging the words like knives. "Don't pretend that you don't know. You're the one that allowed the Gorgons' snake into the Styx."

From behind, Melinoe laughed gleefully, her voice an octave deeper. "Of course they think you're the bad guy. You would too, if you were in their place, wouldn't you?"

Soul resisted the temptation to run. Instead, he dug his heel in the ground and said through gritted teeth, "That's not what happened at all. I would never ally with those monsters."

Demeter laughed sardonically. At that moment, Azusa came back in, trailed by a tall man bedecked in gold armor. Soul recognized him as Helios, the god who pulled the sun across the sky each morning.

"I am certain you all know Helios," Azusa said, confirming Soul's suspicion.

"Sid, actually," he corrected. "That's the name that fits the kind of god I am."

"Yes," Azusa said, pursing her lips. "In any event, Sid here will be able to tell is if Soul's story is true."

"True? Of course it's true!" Soul said exasperatedly, struggling to keep his patience. "Didn't you get my message at all?"

"Message?" Spirit repeated. "We've received nothing, Soul."

Soul cursed his luck, running a hand through his hair. As quickly as he could, he explained what happened in the Underworld and then later on Earth. "The only reason I took Maka was to keep her out of harm's way," Soul finished, hoping that Demeter and Spirit would believe him. "The best place for her safety is the Underworld."

Spirit looked uncertain while Demeter still seemed unconvinced, looking at him like he was a common criminal.

Azusa glanced at Sid. "Well?"

"I can't speak for what happened in the Underworld since my vision doesn't extend that far," Sid said carefully. "However, what happened outside Mount Olympus occurred exactly as Soul told it."

Sid crossed his arms, sunlight glinting off the breastplate of his armor. "I'd say I would be inclined to believe him."

Azusa nodded. "I'd have to agree, though this is a matter that's no business of mine." She glanced at Spirit and Demeter. "I think Sid and I will be taking our leave now," she announced matter-of-factly.

With a proper bow to Spirit, they left the room. Melinoe's taunts, only heard by Soul, filled the room.

Surprisingly it was Demeter who broke the silence. She fixed her gaze somewhere beside Soul's head and pressed her mouth in a line. "I…believe you." The words fell from her mouth unwillingly.

Spirit nodded, less grudging in his acceptance.

"Aw, all's well that ends well," Melinoe cooed, pacing back and forth in front of Soul.

Soul gave a heavy sigh of relief. "Good." For the first time, he moved from where he stood by the door, into the room.

"We'll have to get going soon," Soul said. "If we want to get to the Underworld before night falls."

Demeter gave Soul a strange look. "I beg your pardon?" she asked coldly.

Soul frowned in confusion. "The safest place for Maka right now is the Underworld. I came to escort you so you two could be together."

Demeter gave Soul a smile that didn't melt the iciness of her eyes. "I thank you for your hospitality but it isn't necessary."

Soul felt the sting of her words like a fresh slap.

"Oho, she thinks you're a monster!" Melinoe tittered, unknowingly echoing Soul's thoughts.

"There is a creature on the loose that wants to kill your daughter," Soul said slowly. "And you want to bring her back to the place where it's looking for her. You may as well be offering her up on a silver platter."

Demeter flushed, eyes narrowing in anger. "I know what's best for my daughter."

"But do you know your daughter?" The words burst from Soul before he could restrain himself.

Spirit chimed in hesitantly. "Perhaps Maka could stay here…?"

Neither Soul nor Demeter answered Spirit, glaring at each other. Demeter's voice came hushed, all pretense of civility gone. "How dare you question me? I've known her all her life while you haven't even known her for the space of the day."

She jabbed a finger at Soul. "I am Maka's mother while you are nothing more than a half-mad god."

"Wow, she really didn't hold back, did she?" Melinoe cried, her giggles sounding more like Oni's cackle. "It's the truth though, isn't it, Soul?"

Soul felt as if he had been struck something heavy. Even after all he had done, that's all anyone saw. All the hell he had put himself through to make himself somewhat normal, gaining a jagged scar on his chest as a permanent reminder of the taboo he committed. Oni's laugh rang in Soul's ears now, Melinoe writing on the floor as her robe swallowed her whole.

When it peeled itself away like before, Oni's face greeted Soul with a smile full of serrated teeth. "Did you miss me, Soul?"

Too much was happening for Soul. He could hear Demeter shouting at him while Spirit attempted to calm her down but their words meshed together, making no sense to him.

He needed to leave, needed to escape into his Underworld where Maka, the only outsider that looked at him with kind eyes, waited.

Picturing her calmed the raging sea of thoughts in Soul's mind. A loud groaning sound came from above.

Soul glanced up as a large crack in the ceiling appeared.

Soul glanced at Demeter and Spirit. They gave no sign of noticing the black liquid that now seeped from the crack.

The smell of blood pervaded the room and still no one noticed but Soul. It wafted into his nose, inviting him to give into the madness.

A drop of Black Blood fell onto Demeter's cheek.

Soul briefly wondered how Demeter's blood would compare to the black blood.

His horror brought him back to his senses.

He took quick and sharp breaths, resisting the siren song of the blood and holding onto the image of Maka's soft smile.

Ogre, who had been engaged in some sort of wild dance, came to a halt in front of Soul. "Your nightmares have come for a visit, Soul, and let me tell you they are out for blood!"

Ogre hooted uproariously at his own joke, rolling on the ground. "Will you go for lady love's blood too?"

"Shut up, shut up, shut _up_!" Soul shouted, losing his composure.

"Excuse me?" Demeter said incredulously.

Soul's heart constricted in panic. He didn't know what he was doing here anymore. He just wanted to go home.

"I demand that you give my daughter back!" Demeter took a step forward. In doing so, she kicked some of the Black Blood pooling at her feet into the air.

A few drops landed onto Soul's arm.

It felt as if someone had lit his skin on fire.

Soul let out an anguished cry, falling forward on his knees. Instead of dripping down the side of his arm, they dissolved into Soul's skin.

It wasn't just Ogre's words that echoed in his ears-a million voices flowed in Soul's veins, whispering poison.

"Join us, Soul. Give in, Soul. Become the nightmare."

Soul's hands went limp as his mind went blank.

"Hades!"

Soul's head snapped up. "That's not my name." His voice came out harsh, a mix of his and Ogre's.

Demeter looked at him with a mixture of disgust and apprehension while Spirit cautiously approached him.

Spirit lifted his hands palms-up.

_Like someone would to a madman_, Soul thought, a wild laugh escaping his lips.

He pushed himself to his feet, moving so fast that he took Spirit by surprise. He closed the distance between him and Spirit in two strides, grabbing Spirit by the throat with a strength he didn't know he had.

Demeter let out a cry but instead of attacking Soul, she ran out of the room, calling for help.

Ogre and the voices goaded him on, setting Soul's blood on fire.

Soul bore his eyes into Spirit's. "Listen here and listen well, Maka is staying with me."

"But-"

"No," Soul said as Ogre and the voices goaded him on. "I have never asked you for anything and I'm asking you for this."

"Besides…" A wave of anger threatened to break the little self-control he had left. "You never were the greatest father, were you?"

"I did my best," Spirit choked out.

"Well, it wasn't good enough," Soul said savagely, burning to be gone already. "And if you try to stop me, I'll seal the Underworld from the dead and let them roam your land."

He laughed wildly. "Then, we'll see how the people will shun you. We'll see how well you'll fare when you have to deal with them. Then, we'll see if you turn into a monster."

Soul released him and staggered back.

The room spun in lazy circles, threatening to throw Soul off balance.

He had made it to the doors when they swung closed of their own accord.

The voices screamed for violence.

Soul turned back slowly. "Open them, Spirit."

"I can't do that," Spirit said, massaging his throat. "You know I can't, Soul."

"I will do it right now, Spirit." Soul curved his mouth into sardonic smile. "You better mark my words, Spirit. Or you'll regret it, I assure you."

There was a tense pause. Then the doors behind Soul slowly creaked open.

"Wise move, old man," Soul said, backing up. "And if you think of sending anyone after me, I'll seal the gates immediately."

With that, Soul half-stumbled out of the palace doorway, only keeping what remained of his sanity by focusing on Maka's green eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

Demeter came back to the throne room, followed by a handful of guards who clearly didn't know the meaning of guard.

Spirit still stood in the middle of the room, where Hades had grabbed him.

But Hades was gone.

Her heart in her throat, she could barely manage to choke out, "Spirit, where did he go?"

She could barely feel her feet as she walked forward. Numbly, she realized that Hades would never have been able to leave unless Spirit had let leave.

Spirit ducked his head to avoid her accusatory gaze when she reached him.

"Why did you let him go?" she demanded. "Answer me!"

"I'm sorry, Demeter," Spirit said simply.

"What do you mean by sorry?" Demeter asked flatly, a storm brewing within herself.

Spirit couldn't quite meet her eyes. "He threatened me. I had no choice. Maka stays with him."

Her daughter was in the company of a crazed god.

"Threatened you?" Demeter repeated, not believing what she was hearing. "He threatened you and you give away my daughter as if she's nothing?"

Spirit's protest was cut off by the sharp slap Demeter delivered to him. Her voice shook. "You were more concerned about yourself than your own daughter. That was a mistake. Go get her back."

"He will turn the world to ashes, Demeter. It would be an utter disaster."

Demeter was overtaken by a sense of calm, suddenly struck by an idea. "And that's your final decision?"

"It's not a decision, Demeter," Spirit said, looking at her pleadingly.

Demeter turned away, heading for the doors. "Neither is this."

At the doors, she paused. "I will show you ashes, Spirit. I will show you disaster."

She walked out of the doors and to the precipice of Mount Olympus. The view was as magnificent as ever, huge expanses of nature displaying its beauty at its finest. Demeter felt a moment of hesitation. She remembered her daughter, how she marveled at every little thing nature had to offer.

And then, she remembered that she may never see Maka again.

Reaching deep within her, Demeter searched for her connection to the earth. It pulsed like a little heart, giving life and energy to every single plant.

For a moment, she cradled it within herself.

Then, she snuffed it out.

* * *

Soul didn't know where he was going.

He barely knew who he was at the moment, the voices threatening to finally overwhelm him.

He forced one foot in front of the other, blindly putting his faith that he would end up somewhere safe.

He had no idea what he started but he couldn't regret it.

Maka had given him a spark of life he couldn't let go of.

The rules had changed. The old reign of the gods had ended and a new one had started.

All anyone could do was face it head on.

* * *

Maka sat up with a jolt, fighting off a wave of sleepiness. Something felt wrong but she couldn't see any danger. She must have dozed off and had a bad dream. She pulled up the scroll that she had been reading, which was dangling from her fingertips.

Reflexively, she glanced outside the large window beside the fireplace to see how far the sun had gone down.

Then she remembered there was no sun where she was. Sighing, she searched for her place in the scroll. But as soon as Maka found it, she put the scroll to one side.

It was no use. As much as she tried not to think about it, she couldn't help worrying about Soul and her mother.

She curled up in the chair, wrapping her arms around her knees. Soul had promised to be back soon but it had been at least two hours since he had gone to fetch her mother.

The Underworld had regained some of its creepiness since Soul had left. Whether it was because she had practically no one to talk to but Demeter for most of her life or because what happened earlier, she had genuinely enjoyed talking to Soul.

He had listened to her without judging her, without interrupting to give her unsolicited advice. He just heard what she had to say and was surprisingly good at lifting her spirits.

Her heart gave a little flutter when Maka thought of the way he laughed, rough and free.

Maka found herself hoping Demeter didn't give Soul too hard of a time. Stubbornness had always been one of her biggest traits and Maka was sure that Soul's strange appearance wasn't going to give her a best first impression.

Too impatient to be still, Maka flung herself from the chair, wandering the room. She was curious to see what was in the other rooms but she wanted to be here in case Soul returned with her mother.

Maka heard a crackle just above her head. Then, black powder started raining down on her face.

With a yelp, Maka took off the crown from her head. The flowers were dying. She looked at them more closely.

No, they just weren't dying. They were dissolving into ash.

As Demeter's daughter, Maka was familiar with the cycle of life and death in nature but this was entirely different. The death of one plant held within it the promise of another life, a new beginning.

But these ashes in her hands, Maka realized in horror, clung to her with the grimy feeling of death and disease.

Maka watched, helpless, as the flowers all succumbed one by one until there was only a single purple crocus left.

She cupped it gently in one hand, attempting to breathe life into it like she had seen her mother do on previous occasions.

It was no use.

The crocus held clung to life for a moment. Then it crumbled into ashes in her hand, falling quietly onto the floor.

* * *

**Epilogue**

Arachne stood in the shadow of Larissa's wall, the moon the only source of illumination. She longed to enter the city, rip the gods' temples down and install a temple of her own.

But the force field around Larissa, powered by the strength of the gods, prevented her from doing that.

"Considering going the way of our noble and lamentably late younger sister, Arachne?" Medusa called from behind her.

"Then who would help you with your scheming, sister?" Arachne didn't turn around, still examining the golden glow that emanated from the field. She sighed; it was still as strong as ever.

Medusa didn't answer.

Careful not to let her irritation show, Arachne quietly commented, "You could not call today a success."

"Are you that quick to admit defeat?" Medusa asked deviously, cocking her head to one side.

Arachne closed her eyes briefly. "It was not you who had to show your face as the enemy. You sat back in the shadows while your precious creation couldn't even kill a girl a fraction of its size."

"Admittedly that part of the plan was a complete failure," Medusa shrugged. "Things go awry sometimes."

"Awry?" Arachne breathed as she finally turned around, making sure to keep her face impassive. "Yes, things certainly went awry, didn't they? At this time, Persephone was supposed to have been dead, Hades was supposed to have taken the blame and we were supposed to be watching as the gods unleashed a war upon earth that none have seen in years."

"And now," she continued in a deadly whisper, "We are fugitives once again."

"Even as a child, you never saw the bright side of things," Medusa sniffed. "Did you not see the death Demeter rained down when she found out her precious daughter was kidnapped?"

"And did you not see how nothing else happened after that?" Arachne replied. "There was a little panic among the mortals, which was amusing enough, but no war."

"Perhaps not yet," Medusa said slyly.

"What do you mean?" Arachne asked.

"Think about it," Medusa smirked. "No plants means no food. And no food means very unhappy mortals. Who do the mortals blame when things go wrong?"

Arachne understood at once. "They will no longer go to the temples."

Medusa nodded. "And then the gods' protection will falter. We will be able to claim Larissa for our own and that will put the gods in a precarious situation indeed."

"And your snake?" Arachne pointed out. "It has a blood thirst for Persephone that even you can't control."

"When we take Larissa, Hades will be forced to unseal the gates and come out of his hidey-hole," Medusa said. "Persephone will surely follow him, whether out of regard for him or concern of her mother. Her death will break the gods into factions."

"Making it the easier for us to defeat them," Arachne finished.

Medusa grinned. "For now, my snake will have to content itself with wreaking havoc everywhere."

"This had better not fail, Medusa," Arachne warned. "I will not hesitate to turn against you."

"Nor I, dear sister," Medusa answered sweetly, turning away.

"But for now, we wait."


End file.
